Blue cod in New Zealand ’s Marlborough Sounds were felid frisky during a recent research project in which scientist were using lasers to research the mintage ( Parapercis colias)in the area . Reviewing the footage , the squad discovered that the blue seedcase were doing something queerly cat - like – they start chasing the lasers .
“ When trying to count and measure the blue seedcase , we saw that they were chasing ourlasers , just like cat do ! ” National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd ( NIWA ) marine bionomics technician Charlotte Bodie say in a statement emailed to IFLScience . “ I have pad through a lot of submerged footage in my time , but never seen something like this . No other species seemed to be doing it . "
It might be a first for the squad in New Zealand , but it ’s a deportment that ’s been spotted amongwrasse in England , too .
“ It certainly broke up the sameness of the work , " extend Bodie . " We do a lot of video analysis and see quite a little of interesting and unique fish behaviors , but unfortunately do n’t have time to investigate everything . ”
While a peculiar comparison tocats’obsession with optical maser arrow , it did n’t make for the smoothest of experimental conditions . The NIWA technician were adjudicate to measure the size of the cod , as well as their numbers , but getting an exact read was n’t comfortable with all the kittening around .
“ It made it arduous for us to count blue cod as they run to aggregate and follow the lasers , ” explained NIWA marine bionomics technician Brooke Madden , “ but it also think of we could quantify the fish more accurately because they swim closer to the optical maser . ”
The New Zealand blue codfish is a hefty specimen , consider up to 3 kilograms ( 6.6 Cypriot pound ) and stretch to 60 cm ( 23.6 column inch ) in length . As protogynous hermaphrodites , they can interchange up their gender from female to male person , and the squad ’s current labor – funded by Fisheries New Zealand – hop-skip to glow a visible light on the juvenile habitats of the species .
As for why thefishwere so into chasing the lasers , that ’s a scientific breakthrough for another subject area – but these curious creatures sure enough have the equipment for zooming in on tiny targets .
“ They are very wondering Pisces with orotund sidelong middle that can rotate severally , allowing them to see almost anywhere around them , ” reason Bodie . “ Finding out why they tag the lasers like khat could make a great project one day . ”
Playing lasers with blue cod , but make it science ? Count us in !
