Goldfish can now drive!
According to new research published in Behavioural Brain Research, these fish can be taught to drive a fish-operated vehicle (FOV). Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel subjected six goldfish to a number of 30-minute sessions in a makeshift FOV. The fish were then rewarded every time they reached a designated visual target, through their fish tank on wheels.
According to co-author Ronen Segev, while this study isn’t the first to record and study ‘fish-machine interactions,’ it does provide more understanding on how different species can move through environments that are not for them. “These results demonstrate that the goldfish was able to transfer to a wholly different terrestrial environment and navigate successfully,” Segev said in his Twitter thread.
One of the biggest takeaways? This study proves that just like humans, with the right amount of training and rewards, fish can also drive on land. Now that’s amazing!
Image credit: Ben-Gurion University via Twitter/@ronen_segev