Brainy goldfish learn to drive their own cars by swimming in direction of treats

You may have seen a horsefly, you may even have seen a dragonfly – but have you ever seen a goldfish drive?

According to new research from an Israeli university in which goldfish were given the keys to their own motorised tanks, it might not be as far-fetched as you think.

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba claim their new research shows a fish’s ability to drive a specially designed “Fish Operated Vehicle”.

The Times of Israel reports that the strange study consisted of six fish being chosen to navigate their way around a room in the direction of a 'reward'.

Shachar Givon and Matan Samina, who were instrumental in the study, described how the process worked.

They claimed the fish could "operate the vehicle, explore the new environment, and reach the target, regardless of the starting point, all while avoiding dead-ends and correcting location inaccuracies."

In order to complete the task, the fish were placed in a tank on wheels with cameras on hand to track their movements and control the wheels.

This meant that when the fish moved in a certain direction due to outside stimulus the tank moved.

According to the scientists, this proved to be a major signal that fish experience similar spatial awareness above and below water.

They continued: "The way space is represented in the fish brain and the strategies it uses may be as successful in a terrestrial environment as they are in an aquatic one.

“This hints at universality in the way space is represented across environments.”

Amazingly, the fish were able to discern the difference between real and decoy targets.

However, it wasn't a quick process as it also took them about 30 minutes to complete each task.

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