Simple life, simple minds? How habitat simplification in aquatic ecosystems shape fish cognition

Key Points

• Habitat simplification negatively impacts fish cognition, leading to impaired decision-making behaviors.
• Fish in simplified habitats demonstrated reduced cognitive abilities, evidenced by slower response times in complex tasks.
• Observational analysis across various aquatic ecosystems showed clear differences in cognitive performance between fish in diverse versus simplified habitats.
• These findings highlight the need for conservation strategies that consider cognitive effects of habitat alterations, as they may affect fish survival.