Marketers have long known the power of color to manipulate consumers. Red and yellow supposedly make us hungry, while blue can calm us down. Apparently, we’re not alone in our subconscious response to color; scientists say salmon kept in tanks with black backgrounds were four times less aggressive than those in light blue tanks. The findings were published last week in the journal PLOS ONE.
Fish consumption is on the rise, and a lot of that demand is met by a growing aquaculture (fish farming) industry. But even as consumers begin to demand beef and eggs from humanely raised cows and chickens, few have given fish welfare much thought.
Fortunately, scientists have. A large body of research indicates that fish are incredibly visual animals and are very sensitive to the appearance of their environments. Previous studies have shown that even the colors of gravel and light filtering through the water can affect fish health, fertility, and aggression. But nobody had considered the potential influence of background color until researchers from the University of British Columbia’s Animal Welfare Program decided to take a look.
via Mental Floss
