Animals & nature · 2021
Can cuttlefish wait for better food?
Yes. In a behavioral experiment, cuttlefish passed up an immediate food reward and waited for higher-quality food, with maximum waiting times ranging from 50 to 130 seconds. This shows an ability to wait under the test conditions, not that their self-control is the same as humans’.
Details
Researchers tested whether cuttlefish could forgo an immediate reward and keep waiting for a better one. Their maximum waiting times ranged from 50 to 130 seconds, durations the authors describe as comparable to those of some large-brained vertebrates.
The researchers also tested learning: cuttlefish first learned which of two cues led to a reward, then had to learn that the other cue was now rewarded. Those that waited longer also performed better on this learning task. This association does not establish that waiting improves learning, or the reverse.
The central finding is that cuttlefish can wait for better food in this experimental setting. The abstract does not report the sample size or establish why this ability evolved.
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