Researchers monitored the sleep patterns of normal Zebrafish and those that lacked a functional hypocretin brain receptor (which has been linked to narcolepsy in other organisms). Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) have been used to study sleep disorders. Blind cave fish, by virtue of being blind, do not register visual information at all.įish can be insomniacs well, if researchers modify their biology. Schooling fish, similarly, require less sensory processing because most fish are inside the school and rely upon directional information from other individuals. These sharks and tunas also live in open water pelagic habitats, with very few visual features to register. For example, sharks and tunas that are obligate ram ventilators must swim to breathe so they cannot rest or sleep. Researchers hypothesize that these types of fish may have less need to process sensory information, particularly visual information, and, as a result, their brain does not need to rest and reset in the same way that other fish do. Sleep serves as a time for fish to disengage from their surroundings and gives them a time for circuit refreshment.įish that swim continuously and blind cave fish do not sleep in a traditional sense. Organisms with brains that are capable of processing massive amounts of sensory information also need to be able to refresh memory circuits for infrequently used functions. Sleep may have evolved as a means to “reset” brain circuits through phases of unresponsiveness to sensory inputs. Some parrotfish create their own “mosquito net” to sleep. Some species of parrotfish actually make their own “mosquito net” out of mucus to protect themselves from parasites so that they can sleep in peace. Others, like the Spanish Hogfish ( Bodianus rufus ), sleep so soundly, that they can be lifted all the way to the surface before eliciting a response. Though they are in a restful state, many fish are still acutely alert for danger – sleeping, in essence, with one eye open. This does not exactly serve the same purpose as a good night’s sleep for you, but research has shown that fish sleep does serve a restorative function, saving energy and refreshing memory circuits in the brain. While most fish don’t have eyelids, they do have a regular period of reduced activity and metabolism. The short answer is yes most fish do sleep.
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