Individual Recognition in a Cooperatively Breeding Cichlid: Evidence from Video Playback Experiments

Most theories of social behaviour and cooperation assume that animals can recognise other individuals, but this is rarefy tested. Using Neolamprologus brichardi, a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, we monitored behavioural responses to (1) real fish versus video images of fish; (2) mate versus neighbour and (3) video images of mate versus video image of neighbour. All tests were controlled for size and sex. Fish reacted appropriately to the …