#cichlid

These fish can tell when you’re staring

Fish may possess the ability to perceive where another being’s attention is focused. And they don’t like when it’s focused on them or on their children

The emperor cichlid (Boulengerochromis microlepis) is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, Zambia and ranks among the largest members of the family Cichlidae, reaching up to 80 cm in total length. Breeding pairs are stable, with both males and females jointly defending egg broods against potential predators. In a new study, researchers examined whether the gaze of human divers directed towards the offspring guarded by parental emperor cichlids altered aggressive behaviour towards divers. Emperor cichlids attacked divers significantly more frequently when divers looked directly at the offspring than when they averted their gaze or turned their fins towards the offspring. These findings suggest that fish may possess a rudimentary form of 'attention attribution', the ability to recognise where another individual's focus lies which should be considered in ecotourism and conservation contexts.

Read the news article in Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/.../these-fish-know.../

Read the research article in Royal Society Open Science: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.251919

absolutely lovely chalcid wasp wasp visited me today, got some fruits and water

You get a Jack Dempsey

Even the Common Red Stem Fig (Ficus variegata) trees were laden with fruit. The figs are edible but quite tasteless. There were also quite a few Banana Plants 🍌 around with one in fruit. My guess is the monkeys will get to them first.

We soon reached the Tree Frog Exit 🐸 but chose to continue further down the pathway to the Iora Lookout about 400m away. At the end of the boardwalk is Iora’s Nest which provides one of the best views of Upper Seletar Reservoir. This thematic lookout point is inspired by the Common Iora 🐦 and is surrounded by native trees and shrubs that attract birds to forage and seek refuge. After that, we backtracked to the exit and headed up the flight of staircase.

The top of the stairs leads to River Wonders entrance. As we gathered here to wait for slower colleagues and their families to arrive, some of us went to the restroom to freshen up. There is also a mini Waterfall with pool and giant otter 🦦 sculptures. In the pool there are colourful cichlid 🐟 fishes. Soon it was time to go for our lunch, and we bid farewell to the place.