Zebra fish change color to attract mates

A new study finds that zebrafish can also refine their appearance by changing color to attract their partners.

Zebrafish - a common ornamental fish in households - often does not show any color difference between males and females, at least for the human eye. However, a team from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, discovered very small changes in sex in this fish during mating.

According to Live Science, scientists have combined a variety of methods, including photographing, using computer software and directly observing the eyes, to study the color characteristics of zebrafish, at both captive and wild breeds, when they interact with each other during the day as well as when finding partners and laying eggs.

They found that both males and females were turning their stripes on the skin in a darker and brighter direction just in the mating season and some gender differences expressed through these stripes became only more noticeable. in this moment.

In addition, the team observed that male zebrafish that possess more colorful and striking shirts seem to flirt with their partners more than their less eye-catching peers. This is revealed, body coloring plays a role in mating activities of ornamental fish.

The whole study has just been published in Ethology magazine.