First Fish Photographed Using Tool: Impressed?

by SodaHead News Posted 2011/07/18 20:27:53

Related Topics: Fish, Smash, Blackspot Tuskfish, Cockle, Clam, Food, Evolution, Biology, Science, China, Space, Live, Rock, Dolphins

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	Yes	128 votes	68%
	No	60 votes	32%

In "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Douglas Adams warned dolphins might someday launch into space and abandon our primitive planet. But new research based on some photographs taken in 2006 suggest there may be other aquatic creatures to watch out for.

The pictures, published by National Geographic, show a blackspot tuskfish, native to coral reefs near China and Australia, smashing a cockle against a rock to open it.

native coral reefs china australia smashing cockle rock open

Anyone who's seen "Animal Planet" or "Life" knows just how impressive cockle-smashing is in the animal kingdom. Wildlife narrators sound ecstatic when a primate starts hammering a peanut, so we can only imagine the waves of excitement pulsing through the marine biology world right now.

+24

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pyromaniaticwhale17 2011/07/18 21:45:46

Yes

+9
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crazy4zuko 2011/08/06 21:47:18

No

I believe all life possesses the potential to be intelligent, we are just too busy rolling around in our own success that we don't notice it. I've heard of all kinds of animals using tools before, so a fish using a tool doesn't excite me hardly at all.

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EmrysRoberts 2011/07/31 16:22:29

Yes

Dolphins aren't fish they're mammals but if fish are starting to use tools them the dolphins must already have lasers,advanced space travel and cheap internet porn

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Gabhain 2011/07/23 00:14:42 (edited)

Yes

I am impressed with the photography, which is the real story here.

FYI, Adams didn't warn anyone about anything. He wrote very humorous fiction.

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Jimbo 2011/07/19 21:24:52 (edited)

No

+1
Poggles being farmed by silver spiders, needing the spiders to provide food to survive far more impressive.

Poggle fact file:
Time zone:

100 million years
Type

Mammal, rodent

Size

Hamster-sized
Ancestor

Rodent

Lives

Underground in silver spider caves
Eats

Seeds stored by silver spiders

Eaten by

Silver spiders
Behaviour

The last of the mammals, the poggle is a small rodent.

It lives an easy life within the silver spider colony free from the cares of finding shelter and food. All they need to do is eat and breed.

Poggles are very fertile and produce large numbers of offspring.
Feeding:

Feeds on grass seed harvested for them by silver spiders.
Breeding:

Produce live young as its predecessors.

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Spider20 2011/07/19 18:53:05

No

+2
Over the years I've seen many ocean related programs, and have seen this behavior many times.....nothing new here...

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DaringDestiny 2011/07/19 18:33:33

Yes

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Chamii to DaringD... 2011/07/19 21:31:25

lol

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Crabby 2011/07/19 17:35:42

Yes

Very interestingk!

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Nick 2011/07/19 17:33:35

No

We have a couple thousand years on them

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Ben~ Libertarian Socialist 2011/07/19 17:30:43

Yes

+1
I think it's pretty cool

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101-year-old former monk 2011/07/19 17:00:41 (edited)

No

+1
A porpoise, one of the smartest (fast too) mammals on the planet. I have read many studies which claim that the porpoise may very well be smarter than most humans.

They are currently endangered due to overfishing, being caught and killed in nets.

If they had opposable thumbs, the world would look like this:

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Haiya 2011/07/19 16:44:51

Yes

Yes, it's definitely impressive that they can use a tool. However, of course, the fact that they can only use their mouths to manipulate things means that they can't do much more.

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101-yea... to Haiya 2011/07/19 17:07:37 (edited)

Unless...

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Haiya to 101-yea... 2011/07/19 18:26:47

xD good point. Beware of the mad fishicists! Badum-ch (like physicists, only fish. :P)

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David 2011/07/19 16:42:51

Yes

+2
That fish is smarter than most conservatives.

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101-yea... to David 2011/07/19 16:52:15

+3
Polarizing yourself against a group does not make them wrong and you right, it just makes you a fool. Black and white are not the only two colors in the world.

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David to 101-yea... 2011/07/19 17:56:12

Are you mad because I said it first connie? Actually I didn't, the RWNJs got here before me. I might as well have given you guys a little taste of your own.

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101-yea... to David 2011/07/19 19:16:35

+1
First of all, your assumption that I am a conservative is silly. I follow no political doctrine.
Also, just because they are doing it doesn't mean you should. Fighting hate with hate does not create a double negative, it multiplies.

That's like the Allies in WWII saying "The Nazis are torturing Jews! Lets torture our minorities and show them who is boss!".

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Sheled Umlal 2011/07/19 16:31:12

No

We have known for some time I'm sure that humans are not the most intelligent animal on the planet, just we have evolved to make tools easier to use and construct.

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Philanthropic Misanthrope 2011/07/19 16:25:49

Yes

Kiiiinda like tool use... but cool nonetheless.
I wanted to say a joke using "cockle" and "tool" but the operative verb was "smash" - just couldn't make it work.

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wpsark_BN_0 2011/07/19 16:01:12 (edited)

Yes

if they had opposable thumbs, they would take over the world.....

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Max 2011/07/19 15:47:08

Yes

+3
I know some humans that couldn't figure out how to do what this fish is doing.

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WingedWarrior13 2011/07/19 15:43:02

Yes

That's one smart fish.

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harley oldman 2011/07/19 15:33:05

No

+3
NO.......What would IMPRESS Me....is to see obuma USE his brain...!

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2226693 to harley ... 2011/07/20 21:45:11
harley ... to 2226693 2011/07/21 02:10:44

WHAT...? Your Post...!

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DANNY_B0i♛ 2011/07/19 15:33:01

Yes

thats pretty bad ass :)

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Headhunter 13 2011/07/19 15:26:32

No

+1
Actually not really. A tool is something that has been modified to do a job such as Chimps using the same kind of stick that has been stripped of it's bark to eat 6 ants from an anthill. The stick has been modified and the behavior is taught or learned. The fish in this example is performing an act based on instinct. Much like some gulls pick up a shellfish and fly to drop it on rocks where other types of gulls pick up the shellfish and drop it on rocks.

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Golden Ratio 2011/07/19 15:08:59

Yes

+1
Religious faiths are not gonna like this at all, nope, lol.
Especially when these fish start demanding their rights as a new intelligent species, lol!!!!
Wonder what God they will prey to, lol!!!!
This is great !!!!

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cinbadl to Golden ... 2011/07/19 16:03:58 (edited)
SuiJuris249 2011/07/19 13:58:13

No

+3
Animals like humans adapt to their environs there is nothing impressive here. Look at what otters do for sea urchins that is not impressive. Look at the beaver and the damn he builds they have been known to be better than mans and often harder to destroy. Nature has tons of examples like this. Most humans never bother to stop and take a look to see just how smart animals really are.

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2226693 to SuiJuri... 2011/07/20 21:46:18
SuiJuri... to 2226693 2011/07/20 22:44:56

LOL!!!!! Thanks for the laugh.

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lsl4 2011/07/19 13:52:02

Yes

+2
And so the first ancestor of the great fish humanoids are born. 5 million years from now, long after we've abandoned the planet, they shall erect great cities and travel to the stars in their star aquarium ships.

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Tau_Seti 2011/07/19 13:24:06

Yes

+4
I am impressed that someone finally noticed.

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Word Weaver 2011/07/19 13:19:06

No

+2
Meh. So the fish whacked the mussel against a rock. Big deal. Look at how smart octopi are.

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hmgmcrmy 2011/07/19 12:38:12

Yes

I think people would be surprised at how smart animals really are. This is interesting :D

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w2xad 2011/07/19 11:03:29

No

Almost all animals have intelligence that we can't begin to imagine! It does sound like deductive reasoning to me!

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Dark Demonic™ ★ The Origina... 2011/07/19 10:28:34

Yes

+1

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sglmom 2011/07/19 10:24:10

No

+2
So .. how is this /surprising/?

Members of the Animal Kingdom have been using tools for millenia .. it is well observed above sea level ..
Why wouldn't the same be seen in fish in the seas?

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