Cleaner wrasse show self awareness in stunning mirror experiments

Cleaner wrasse have revealed a remarkable new side of fish intelligence. Marked with fake parasites, they used mirrors to inspect and remove the spots—far faster than seen in earlier tests. Even more striking, some fish dropped shrimp in front of the mirror to watch how its reflection moved, a form of exploratory “contingency testing.” The findings suggest self-awareness may extend well beyond mammals.

Updates Feb 23, 2026 0 9 Add to Reading List

Cleaner wrasse show self awareness in stunning mirror experiments

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WHY THE HEN DOES NOT HAVE TEETH STORY BOOK

Click the image to get your copy!

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Cleaner wrasse have revealed a remarkable new side of fish intelligence. Marked with fake parasites, they used mirrors to inspect and remove the spots—far faster than seen in earlier tests. Even more striking, some fish dropped shrimp in front of the mirror to watch how its reflection moved, a form of exploratory “contingency testing.” The findings suggest self-awareness may extend well beyond mammals.

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