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Fish are socially intelligent creatures who do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits of the animal kingdom, according to a group of leading scientists.
Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured.
The three experts from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Leeds said there had been huge changes in science's understanding of the psychological and mental abilities of fish in the last few years.
Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause said fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures.
They said: "Gone (or at least obsolete) is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely by 'instinct', with what little behavioural flexibility they possess being severely hampered by an infamous 'three-second memory'.
"Now, fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation, exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food."
Recent research had shown that fish recognised individual "shoal mates", social prestige and even tracked relationships.
Scientists had also observed them using tools, building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories.
The scientists added: "Although it may seem extraordinary to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably compared to non-human primates."
They said fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate groups, giving them "ample time" to evolve complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that rivalled those of other vertebrates.
"These developments warrant a re-appraisal of the behavioural flexibility of fishes, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the learning processes that underpin the newly recognised behavioural and social sophistication of this taxon," said the scientists.
一批杰出的科学家认为，鱼是具有社会智商的动物，它们不应被称为动物王国中的笨蛋。
研究组的科学家们说，鱼类不是简单地凭本能行事，它们很机灵，有控制能力，甚至很有教养。
三位来自爱丁堡、圣·安德鲁斯和利兹大学的专家说，科学界在最近几年里对鱼的心理和心智能力的认识发生了巨大的变化。
生物学家富勒姆·布朗、凯文·莱兰和延斯·克劳斯在《鱼类和渔业》杂志上发表文章说，目前鱼被认为是非常聪明的动物。
他们说：“过去鱼类被看作单调乏味、脑袋只有豌豆大的笨蛋，只会受‘本能’驱使，仅有的一点儿行动灵活性也被它那臭名昭著的‘三秒钟记性’严重阻碍了。如今这种说法已经一去不返了（或者至少是过时了）。”
“现在，鱼被认为充满着社会智商，运用马基雅维利式的策略，诸如操纵、惩罚和顺从，表现出固有的文化传统，并通过合作来勘查敌情和捕捉食物。”
最近的研究表明鱼可以识别各自的鱼群伙伴，社会威望，甚至相关的人际关系。
科学家们也观察到它们会使用工具，修筑结构复杂的窝，还表现出长期的记忆力。
科学家们补充说：“尽管对于那些习惯于以脑容量来事先判断动物智商的人来说这看起来非常特别，但是在某些认知领域，鱼甚至可以和人类以外的灵长类动物相媲美。”
他们说鱼是最古老的主要脊椎动物，他们有"足够多的时间"来进化出复杂多样并且有适应能力的行为模式，与其他脊椎动物相抗衡。
科学家们说：“这些进化就是重新评价鱼类行为灵活性的有力依据，并且突出了有必要进一步了解鱼类刚被认可的行为和社交复杂性的进化过程。”
