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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System

Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System

Published on: February 11, 2022

Conscious vision in fish.

Eva Jablonka¹, Avraham Englander¹

¹The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel jablonka@post.tau.ac.ilromi.englander@gmail.com.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|June 24, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Most fish likely possess conscious vision, challenging previous arguments. This trait evolved early in aquatic animals, predating their move to land.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Evolutionary Biology
Animal Cognition

Background:

Fleming and Michel argued aquatic animals lack conscious vision.
This perspective overlooks the evolutionary history of sensory systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To challenge existing arguments against conscious vision in aquatic animals.
To propose that most fish possess conscious vision based on cognition and evolution.
To differentiate a model-based, learning-driven view from opposing perspectives.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of fish cognition.
Evolutionary developmental biology principles.
Review of existing literature on animal consciousness.

Main Results:

Evidence suggests fish possess conscious vision.
Conscious vision likely evolved before terrestrial adaptation.
A model-based, learning-driven evolutionary framework is proposed.

Conclusions:

Most fish are likely to have conscious vision.
The evolution of vision in fish supports an early origin.
This study offers a new perspective on animal consciousness evolution.