The Least Among Us?

Normal exploratory behaviour -- Troy University

"The neurochemistry [of fish] is so similar [to that of humans] that it's scary."
"[While we tend to consider fish simple organisms] ...there is a lot we don't give fish credit for."
Julian Pittman, biologist, Troy University, Alabama

Depressed fish -- Troy University

"You can tell. Depressed people are withdrawn. The same is true of fish."
"Fish perception and cognitive abilities often match or exceed other vertebrates. Fish have a high degree of behavioral plasticity and compare favorably to humans and other terrestrial vertebrates across a range of intelligence tests.”
"The big issue here is that people don't treat fish the same way as they do other animals. It's complicated, but it boils down to the fact that most people just don't understand them and can't relate to them. If you don't have that connection, you are less likely to feel any empathy."
"Each animal is unique, has an identity and a personality. Each is special [so] animals should be treated with respect, and we have a duty of care towards them that demands that we reduce pain and suffering wherever possible."
"[Give your fish a one-meter tank] with lots of plants and stuff. A goldfish bowl, for example, is the worst possible situation."
Culum Brown, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

"One of the things we're finding, that fish are naturally curious and seek novel things out."
Victoria Braithwaite, professor of fisheries and biology, Pennsylvania State University

(BENSON KUA)

It doesn't necessarily take the observational skills of an ichthyologist to be able to discern when fish are lively and interested in what's going on around them, as opposed to behaving in a decidedly unhappy mood, uncharacteristic of healthy fish. Anyone who decides to maintain an aquarium for the pleasure of watching fish in perpetual motion, admiring their grace and beauty can surmise when fish behave in ways that don't reflect the normal that they can be dissatisfied with their lives. And since their lives are circumscribed to the dimensions of the container they're in, the quality of that aqua-centric environment and the stimulants within it can be key.

Now, new research is informing biologists about the brains and habits and emotions that fish, a species of animal that most people would attribute no reactive capacity to despite ample evidence to the contrary -- think, for example of desperate measures fish take to survive capture, struggling against the prospect of death -- that fish do indeed have emotions and react to their environment and in ways amazingly close to resembling how humans themselves perceive and react. The very idea of fish cognition represents a whole new era of animal research.

Dr. Pittman is working on the development of medications in the treatment of depression, and his observations about fish reactions can lead the way to new discoveries that will, in the final analysis, be useful for medical treatment of depression in humans. His observations also, on the other  hand, point out how needful fish too are to avoid boredom and give quality to their lives when they are in particular trapped in an environment shrunk to a size nature never meant for them, and far indeed from their usual habitat.

Fish undergo testing with a protocol named the "novel tank test", and Dr. Pittman so readily identifies their depressive state that it brings a challenge as well as enjoyment to working with them. The tank test represents a zebrafish dropped into a new tank. When five minutes elapses it is discerned to be depressed if it swims in the lower half of the tank, but if it swims instead in the upper portion of the tank, exploring its new environment this is taken to be a reliable indication that the fish is not depressed.

According to Dr. Pittman, the amount of time the fish spends at the bottom of the tank as opposed to the top, indicates the severity of its depression. The zebrafish, in reacting to its new, depressing environment will lose all interest in normal life, including food, toys and exploration, reflecting the very same disinterest that depressed people display in their lives. According to Professor Braithwaite, the issue most responsible for depression is lack of stimulants in their environment.

She studies fish intelligence and preferences. Some fish have been demonstrated to be capable of using tools,while others are able to recognize faces. Dr. Braithwaite speaks of enriching the fish environment with ample plants for nibbling and objects to swim through and around, to decrease stress and increase brain growth. As well, according to Dr. Brown, vigilance with respect to water quality is vital to ensure a stable and oxygen-rich environment.

Tippi’s happy. Edible plants coming soon. (ROBBY BERMAN) From: Big Think