Lovelorn fish have gloomier outlook, study finds

Female cichlids who lose their mates are measurably more pessimistic, researchers say

Inferring the mood of a fish has never been a precise science, but researchers claim at least one species responds the way humans do when separated from their other half. They say central American convict cichlids become glum when they split up.

Scientists at the University of Burgundy in Dijon believe they are the first to reveal the emotional attachments that fish form with their partners. Using a cognitive test, they found that female cichlids who lost their mates took a gloomier view of the world and were measurably more pessimistic.