Can Manta Rays pass the mirror test?
Many believe that dolphins are the only underwater species that can pass the mirror test and are considered to be self aware. But based on the experiment done by Marc Bekoff from University of Colorado in Boulder and filmed by Csilla Ari at University of South Florida, this seems to be untrue. There experiment suggests that Manta Rays pass the mirror test and are self aware. The mirror test is used to test self-awareness in animals. Only a small number of animals have passed. Most have been primates. In class, we learned that animals like Apes, Elephants, Dolphins, and Magpies have been able to pass the test while animals like Dogs and Cats have not. This test suggests the animals that can pass this are self aware and understand what they look like.
They filmed the Manta Rays doing the mirror test and he believes they are looking at themselves in the mirror and not showing signs of social interaction like it would with another ray. Manta rays have the largest brains of any fish including bigger than dolphins which can pass the mirror test to. Boxe writes in her article "The fish changed their behavior in a way that suggested that they recognised the reflection as themselves as opposed to another Manta Ray." (Boxe 12-15) Below is some videos of the testing done with the Manta Rays by Csilla Ari in Tampa, Florida.
The video shows the manta rays would swim in front of the mirror and turn over and move their fins, this could be them showing interest in their own reflections just like the dolphins did in the video we saw during class. According to Ari, their movement was much higher in the tank when the mirror was in the tank than when there was not a mirror in the tank. An unusual behavior they would do is blow bubbles in front of the mirror. This behavior has never been observed before in rays before according to Ari. This different behavior could be seen because it knows it is not another ray and is amazed by looking at its reflection. Showing signs of social interation towards the image in the mirror would show if they believed it was another ray which the Manta Ray showed none of.
Many other researches are sceptical about this experiment and say this could just be the animal having curious behavior. One of them being Gordon G. Gallip of University of Albany who originally developed the mirror test. He says "Humans, Chimps and orangutans are the only species for which there is compelling, reproducible evidence for mirror self recognition." (Gallup, Boxe 35-36) Bekoff also adds that "Such species may fail the mirror test, but they may still be self-aware." (Bekoff, Boxe 40-41) This experiment was also only done with 2 rays so the sample size in very small but it does help bring more questions to other animals and being self-aware.
Refrences
Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata. “Manta Rays Are First Fish to Recognise Themselves in a Mirror.” New Scientist, 21 Mar. 2016, www.newscientist.com/article/2081640-manta-rays-are-first-fish-to-recognise-themselves-in-a-mirror/.
Pachniewska, Amanda. “List of Animals That Have Passed the Mirror Test.” Animal Cognition, 29 Oct. 2016, www.animalcognition.org/2015/04/15/list-of-animals-that-have-passed-the-mirror-test/.
Picture Website
http://www.dive-the-world.com/creatures-manta-rays.php
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They filmed the Manta Rays doing the mirror test and he believes they are looking at themselves in the mirror and not showing signs of social interaction like it would with another ray. Manta rays have the largest brains of any fish including bigger than dolphins which can pass the mirror test to. Boxe writes in her article "The fish changed their behavior in a way that suggested that they recognised the reflection as themselves as opposed to another Manta Ray." (Boxe 12-15) Below is some videos of the testing done with the Manta Rays by Csilla Ari in Tampa, Florida.
The video shows the manta rays would swim in front of the mirror and turn over and move their fins, this could be them showing interest in their own reflections just like the dolphins did in the video we saw during class. According to Ari, their movement was much higher in the tank when the mirror was in the tank than when there was not a mirror in the tank. An unusual behavior they would do is blow bubbles in front of the mirror. This behavior has never been observed before in rays before according to Ari. This different behavior could be seen because it knows it is not another ray and is amazed by looking at its reflection. Showing signs of social interation towards the image in the mirror would show if they believed it was another ray which the Manta Ray showed none of.
Many other researches are sceptical about this experiment and say this could just be the animal having curious behavior. One of them being Gordon G. Gallip of University of Albany who originally developed the mirror test. He says "Humans, Chimps and orangutans are the only species for which there is compelling, reproducible evidence for mirror self recognition." (Gallup, Boxe 35-36) Bekoff also adds that "Such species may fail the mirror test, but they may still be self-aware." (Bekoff, Boxe 40-41) This experiment was also only done with 2 rays so the sample size in very small but it does help bring more questions to other animals and being self-aware.
Refrences
Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata. “Manta Rays Are First Fish to Recognise Themselves in a Mirror.” New Scientist, 21 Mar. 2016, www.newscientist.com/article/2081640-manta-rays-are-first-fish-to-recognise-themselves-in-a-mirror/.
Pachniewska, Amanda. “List of Animals That Have Passed the Mirror Test.” Animal Cognition, 29 Oct. 2016, www.animalcognition.org/2015/04/15/list-of-animals-that-have-passed-the-mirror-test/.
Picture Website
http://www.dive-the-world.com/creatures-manta-rays.php
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