Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition
Social vertebrates often recognize familiar individuals through facial recognition, a basal cognitive ability through which animals establish stable sociality, including territoriality. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a model species for behavioural studies, is territorial and...
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| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241888 |
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| author | Shumpei Sogawa Izumi Inoue Satoshi Awata Koki Ikeya Kento Kawasaka Masanori Kohda |
| author_facet | Shumpei Sogawa Izumi Inoue Satoshi Awata Koki Ikeya Kento Kawasaka Masanori Kohda |
| author_sort | Shumpei Sogawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Social vertebrates often recognize familiar individuals through facial recognition, a basal cognitive ability through which animals establish stable sociality, including territoriality. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a model species for behavioural studies, is territorial and its ability to visually recognize familiar individuals remains unclear. Herein, we report that this species has individual-specific facial features and recognizes familiar individuals by facial recognition. Territorial neighbours of the same sex established a ‘dear enemy relationship’ with each other. These focal fish were exposed to composite photographic models of four combinations of faces and bodies of familiar neighbours and unknown strangers of the same sex. Focal fish of both sexes attacked photographs of strangers (stranger-face/stranger-body) more frequently than familiar neighbours (neighbour-face/neighbour-body). Furthermore, they attacked composite photographs of the stranger-face/neighbour-body more frequently (similar to the stranger model) but less frequently attacked photographs of the neighbour-face/stranger-body (similar to the neighbour model). These results suggest that the three-spined stickleback exclusively distinguishes familiar neighbours from unknown fish via facial recognition. The aggressiveness of males was independent of the presence of a red nuptial colour in the photographs. Our findings suggest that this fish controls its aggressiveness against opponent conspecifics in the context of social relationships independent of the red area. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a9dba25e693143f18f8d6503742a1457 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-a9dba25e693143f18f8d6503742a14572025-07-28T15:24:03ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-07-0112710.1098/rsos.241888Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognitionShumpei Sogawa0Izumi Inoue1Satoshi Awata2Koki Ikeya3Kento Kawasaka4Masanori Kohda5Department of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, JapanWorld Freshwater Aquarium Aquatotto Gifu, Gifu, JapanDepartment of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, JapanSocial vertebrates often recognize familiar individuals through facial recognition, a basal cognitive ability through which animals establish stable sociality, including territoriality. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a model species for behavioural studies, is territorial and its ability to visually recognize familiar individuals remains unclear. Herein, we report that this species has individual-specific facial features and recognizes familiar individuals by facial recognition. Territorial neighbours of the same sex established a ‘dear enemy relationship’ with each other. These focal fish were exposed to composite photographic models of four combinations of faces and bodies of familiar neighbours and unknown strangers of the same sex. Focal fish of both sexes attacked photographs of strangers (stranger-face/stranger-body) more frequently than familiar neighbours (neighbour-face/neighbour-body). Furthermore, they attacked composite photographs of the stranger-face/neighbour-body more frequently (similar to the stranger model) but less frequently attacked photographs of the neighbour-face/stranger-body (similar to the neighbour model). These results suggest that the three-spined stickleback exclusively distinguishes familiar neighbours from unknown fish via facial recognition. The aggressiveness of males was independent of the presence of a red nuptial colour in the photographs. Our findings suggest that this fish controls its aggressiveness against opponent conspecifics in the context of social relationships independent of the red area.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241888three-spined sticklebackindividual recognitionface recognitionclass-level recognitiondear enemyinnate releasing mechanisms |
| spellingShingle | Shumpei Sogawa Izumi Inoue Satoshi Awata Koki Ikeya Kento Kawasaka Masanori Kohda Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition Royal Society Open Science three-spined stickleback individual recognition face recognition class-level recognition dear enemy innate releasing mechanisms |
| title | Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| title_full | Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| title_fullStr | Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| title_short | Three-spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| title_sort | three spined sticklebacks recognize familiar individuals by facial recognition |
| topic | three-spined stickleback individual recognition face recognition class-level recognition dear enemy innate releasing mechanisms |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241888 |
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