Fishy Social Skills

It was incredibly important to make sure an animal is capable of thriving in the environment it is to be released in. So far, the zoo’s first Monterey Platyfish has shown its ability to scavenge for its own food. The small fish was healthy and could maneuver itself around its environment with efficiency. The next step was ensuring it could interact with others of its species. If the reintroduction of the species was to be successful, the animals would have to interact and breed with each other.

Another platyfish had just come out of quarantine and was deemed healthy. This was the perfect opportunity to test both of them on their ability to interact socially. After acclimating to the same tank, the two were released into it. At first they had wandered around without noticing each other. Once catching glimpses of each other they became curious and started to interact. After a little hesitancy and defensiveness, they started to swim around together. They seemed capable and happy to live together in the same environment and were both deemed socially competent. When a natural food source was introduced,the pair was able to seek it out and share the meal without fighting over it. After some time the fish seemed to tire. They were able to find appropriate shelter and safely rest.

The progress of the Monterey Platyfish was great to see. They had gained all the survival skills needed to thrive in the wild once reintroduced. The zoo hoped to organize their release soon to help contribute to repopulation efforts.