A recent study has found that wild fishes have the ability to distinguish between humans by their clothing. Researchers observed that species such as saddled sea bream and black sea bream used visual cues like the color of diving gear to identify and differentiate between divers. The fishes displayed acute color vision, allowing them to recognize individuals based on their clothing within their natural habitat in the Mediterranean Sea.

Led by Maëlan Tomasek from Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, the study sheds light on the intelligence and complexity of aquatic animals. The researchers suggest that the findings could inspire a reconsideration of how humans treat fishes and other underwater creatures. Previous research has also shown that fishes display self-awareness and even engage in cooperative hunting behaviors, bringing attention to the need for greater empathy towards these often overlooked species.