Fish can navigate out of water, a study published on December 9 in the journal Behavioral Brain Research finds, suggesting that animal navigational abilities aren’t dependent on ecological context.
Previous studies have trained rats and dogs to operate vehicles, and in 2014, engineers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel developed a “fish on wheels” interface that allows fish to control a robotic car over land—essentially, a clear tank on a four-wheel platform that moves according to the orientation and movements of the fish inside. Last month, the scientists implemented this technology to test whether goldfish (Carassius auratus) can perceive and understand a waterless environment and transfer their spatial representation and navigation skills to the terrestrial realm.
I am excited to share a new study led by Shachar Givon & @MatanSamina w/ Ohad Ben Shahar: Goldfish can learn to navigate a small robotic vehicle on land. We trained goldfish ...