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Does a cichlid fish process face holistically? Evidence of the face inversion effect
Kento Kawasaka1, Takashi Hotta2,3, Masanori Kohda2
1Laboratory of Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Sugimoto 3-3-138, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan. kento_kawasaka@yahoo.co.jp.
Animal Cognition
|January 4, 2019
Summary
Fish can recognize upright faces better than inverted ones, similar to humans. This face inversion effect suggests cichlid fish process faces holistically, aiding individual recognition.
Area of Science:
- Comparative psychology
- Animal behavior
- Neuroethology
Background:
- Humans and some mammals exhibit a face inversion effect, recognizing upright faces more readily than inverted ones.
- This effect is considered evidence for specialized face processing.
- Recent studies suggest some fish species, like cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher), can distinguish individuals by face.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the face inversion effect in the cichlid fish N. pulcher.
- To determine if N. pulcher processes conspecific faces holistically.
Main Methods:
- Photographs of N. pulcher faces and objects were presented in upright and inverted orientations.
- Fish behavior (gaze duration) was recorded to assess recognition and discrimination.
Main Results:
- N. pulcher gazed longer at novel faces than familiar faces when presented upright.
- This preference for novel faces diminished with inverted face presentations.
- No significant difference in gaze behavior was observed between upright and inverted object photographs.
Conclusions:
- The cichlid fish N. pulcher exhibits a face inversion effect.
- This suggests that N. pulcher may process conspecific faces holistically, similar to human face perception.
- The findings provide evidence for specialized face recognition mechanisms in fish.
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