Home Science Fish Appear to Recognize Themselves in the Mirror

Fish Appear to Recognize Themselves in the Mirror

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The cleaner wrasse fish (Labroides dimidiatus), responds to its reflection and attempts to remove marks on its body during the mirror test — a method considered the gold standard for determining self-awareness in animals. The finding suggests that fish might possess far higher cognitive powers than previously thought, and ignites a high-stakes debate over how we assess the intelligence of animals that are so unlike ourselves.