Some fish have better memory than humans

Cuttlefish have sharper memories than humans as they get older. A new study has revealed that the fish can remember events right up to the last few days of its life and is thought to be the first evidence of an animal whose memory of specific events does not deteriorate as it gets older. Memory tests were conducted on 24 common cuttlefish and the results indicated that the episodic memory of the species does not decline with age, unlike in humans. This is thought to be due to the hippocampus, a part of the brain that humans possess but that cuttlefish do not.

Dr Alexandra Schnell, from the University of Cambridge’s department of psychology, said: “Cuttlefish can remember what they ate, where and when, and use this to guide their feeding decisions in the future.

“What’s surprising is that they don’t lose this ability with age, despite showing other signs of ageing like loss of muscle function and appetite.”