A parasite attached to a bream. Photo by Dominique Roche.
Fish with parasites attached to their heads have a stronger preference for left or right when facing a T-intersection, giving them an edge when it comes to escaping predators, research from The Australian National University (ANU) has revealed. A preference for one side is called lateralisation. Many human behaviours, such as being left-or right-handed when writing, are lateralised due to the body's asymmetries and different wiring in the brain's hemispheres. "In addition to humans, many animals show lateralisation, including the bridled monocle bream we used in this study," said lead author of the paper, Mr Dominique Roche, a PhD candidate in the ANU Research School of Biology. "There has been some evidence that lateralisation is plastic, meaning it can change depending on the circumstances. For example, history has shown that some people born left-handed can become very adept at writing with their right hand if forced to do so in school. In fact, they often become more comfortable using their right hand in the long run." The bridled monocle bream is often parasitised by a large crustacean which attaches itself to one side of the fish's head, just above the eye.
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