Cuttlefish show they’re as smart as children by passing ‘marshmallow test’
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A cuttlefish is a type of sea animal that has a soft body and a hard shell. It has eight arms and two long tentacles and is related to the octopus and squid.
While they may not look particularly smart, a new study reveals that cuttlefish could be as intelligent as children. They have managed to pass a well-known psychological test – the ‘marshmallow test‘.
In the study, conducted in the 1970s, children were offered a pretzel stick or marshmallow sweet. But they were told if they could wait longer, they’d receive two of the item.
This teat was meant to see how well children could delay immediate gratification (satisfaction) to receive greater rewards in the future. This is an ability that predicts success later in life.
For the cuttlefish, the test was conducted using shrimp and prawn. They were trained using special chamber doors that would either open right away, open after a delay, or not open at all.
The prawn door opened right away, but if the cuttlefish ate it, the shrimp was taken away. If the prawn door opened and the cuttlefish did not eat it, they were later given a chance at the shrimp. And they all passed the test!
Animal intelligence
Till now species that have passed the marshmallow test are long-lived, social animals like chimpanzees and crows. But cuttlefish only live two years, are not social and don’t use tools.
So, scientists are trying to understand how they have developed the ability to wait and have self-control.
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