Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Kittens and blue cod could have more in common than you think
A kitten chasing a laser is one of life’s simple pleasures, but scientists have found another creature that likes to have the same kind of fun.
Blue cod, a staple in fish and chip shops across Aotearoa, have shown behaviours that mimic kitten behaviour upon seeing the line of a laser, Niwa scientists in the Marlborough Sounds have found.
Their research project, funded by Fisheries New Zealand, was focused on identifying and understanding the habitats of juvenile blue cod.
Also known as rāwaru or pākirikiri, they are only found in New Zealand waters, and are most common around the South Island and the Chatham Islands.
To better understand the environment of young blue cod, scientists used lasers to measure the number of fish and their size.
However, as Niwa marine ecology technician Charlotte Bodie reviewed the video footage, she noticed their strange behaviour.
“When trying to count and measure the blue cod, we saw that they were chasing our lasers, just like cats do. “I have trudged through a lot of underwater footage in my time, but never seen something like this. No other species seemed to be doing it.
“It certainly broke up the monotony of the work.”
Fellow technician Brooke Madden said the erratic movements of the blue cod were annoying for the researchers at first.
“It made it hard for us to count blue cod as they tend to aggregate and follow the lasers,” she said.
“But it also meant we could measure the fish more accurately because they swam closer to the laser.”
Bodie said interesting fish behaviours were often caught on camera when gathering data, but finding the time to investigate the reasons behind their movements was not always available.
“They are very inquisitive fish with large lateral eyes that can rotate independently, allowing them to see almost anywhere around them.
“Finding out why they chase the lasers like cats could make a great project one day.”