Fish are socially intelligent creatures who do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits of the animal kingdom, according to a group of leading scientists. 

    Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured. 

    The three experts from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Leeds said there had been huge changes in science's understanding of the psychological and mental abilities of fish in the last few years. 

    Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause said fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures. 

    They said: "Gone (or at least obsolete) is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely by 'instinct', with what little behavioural flexibility they possess being severely hampered by an infamous 'three-second memory'. 

    "Now, fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation, exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food." 

    Recent research had shown that fish recognised individual "shoal mates", social prestige and even tracked relationships. 

    Scientists had also observed them using tools, building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories. 

    The scientists added: "Although it may seem extraordinary to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably compared to non-human primates." 

    They said fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate groups, giving them "ample time" to evolve complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that rivalled those of other vertebrates. 

    "These developments warrant a re-appraisal of the behavioural flexibility of fishes, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the learning processes that underpin the newly recognised behavioural and social sophistication of this taxon," said the scientists. 

    一批杰出的科學家認為，魚是具有社會智商的動物，它們不應被稱為動物王國中的笨蛋。 

    研究組的科學家們說，魚類不是簡單地憑本能行事，它們很機靈，有控制能力，甚至很有教養。 

    三位來自愛丁堡、圣·安德魯斯和利茲大學的專家說，科學界在最近幾年里對魚的心理和心智能力的認識發生了巨大的變化。 

    生物學家富勒姆·布朗、凱文·萊蘭和延斯·克勞斯在《魚類和漁業》雜志上發表文章說，目前魚被認為是非常聰明的動物。 

    他們說：“過去魚類被看作單調乏味、腦袋只有豌豆大的笨蛋，只會受‘本能’驅使，僅有的一點兒行動靈活性也被它那臭名昭著的‘三秒鐘記性’嚴重阻礙了。如今這種說法已經一去不返了（或者至少是過時了）。” 

    “現在，魚被認為充滿著社會智商，運用馬基雅維利式的策略，諸如操縱、懲罰和順從，表現出固有的文化傳統，并通過合作來勘查敵情和捕捉食物。” 

    最近的研究表明魚可以識別各自的魚群伙伴，社會威望，甚至相關的人際關系。 

    科學家們也觀察到它們會使用工具，修筑結構復雜的窩，還表現出長期的記憶力。 

    科學家們補充說：“盡管對于那些習慣于以腦容量來事先判斷動物智商的人來說這看起來非常特別，但是在某些認知領域，魚甚至可以和人類以外的靈長類動物相媲美。” 

    他們說魚是最古老的主要脊椎動物，他們有"足夠多的時間"來進化出復雜多樣并且有適應能力的行為模式，與其他脊椎動物相抗衡。 

    科學家們說：“這些進化就是重新評價魚類行為靈活性的有力依據，并且突出了有必要進一步了解魚類剛被認可的行為和社交復雜性的進化過程。”