Kryptolebias marmoratus on magic mushrooms

[gwand]

An interesting article about aggressive behavior in the mangrove rivulus killifish while on psilocybin.

Psilocybin Dampens Aggression and Attack Behaviors - Neuroscience News

Psilocybin selectively reduces escalated aggression in mangrove rivulus fish without suppressing social interaction, identifying a new model for behavioral drug research.

neurosciencenews.com

 

[GaryE]

That's actually really interesting. It's remarkable how many 'killifish' from many different Genera are being identified as research animals because of similarities in them compared to us. It's a long long story, but it's one worth telling.

The joke possibilities on this one are endless, and kind of welcome to my little mind, but. I still smile at a discussion I followed online when the internet was young and full of promise between a group of 'really into it' hobbyists and some killiekeeping scientists, where a scientist wondered aloud at using Nothobranchius annuals to study ageing. The papers soon followed and now it's standard research. We do this for fun, but sometimes even tiny contributions end up as the real fun.

You've got to be a real diehard to keep mangrove Kryptolebias, because they are bone ugly fish. Interesting, weird, and distinctive, but really ugly.