The research, published in the journal "Animal Behaviour," found that when zebrafish were placed in a tank with a predator, they would delay their escape response if they saw another zebrafish swimming freely nearby. This suggests that fish use social cues to assess the level of danger they are in, and that they are willing to take risks to stay with their companions.
"Our study shows that zebrafish use social cues to make decisions about their own survival," said lead author Dr. Andrew King from the University of Oxford. "This suggests that fish have a more complex social life than we previously thought, and that they may even be capable of forming friendships."
In the study, zebrafish were placed in a tank with a predator (a larger fish). The zebrafish would typically escape the tank when the predator was introduced. However, when another zebrafish was swimming freely nearby, the zebrafish would delay their escape response. This suggests that the zebrafish were using the presence of the other fish as a social cue to assess the level of danger they were in.
The researchers also found that the zebrafish were more likely to delay their escape response if they had been swimming with the other fish for a longer period of time. This suggests that the zebrafish were able to form social bonds with each other, and that they were more willing to take risks to stay with their friends.
"Our study provides new evidence for the social complexity of fish," said Dr. King. "This research could have implications for the conservation of fish populations, as it suggests that fish may be more vulnerable to predators when they are separated from their friends."
