Overview

• Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology found that wild fish can identify and remember individual humans who feed them.
• Experiments conducted at the Stareso research station in Corsica demonstrated that fish followed divers who had previously provided food, ignoring others.
• Recognition was based on visual cues such as the colors and patterns of diving gear rather than human facial features.
• After training, around 20 fish, particularly seabream, consistently followed a specific diver, even when distinguishing features of her gear were removed.
• The findings, published in 'Biology Letters,' suggest fish may possess more advanced recognition abilities than previously understood, with potential for further study on subtle identification cues.