Fish are socially intelligent creatures that do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits① of the animal kingdom. Rather than simply being instinct-driven， the group says fish are cunning， manipulative② and even cultured. Fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures.
Gone is the image of fish as drudging③ and dim-witted pea-brains， driven largely by ’instinct’， with what little behavioral④ flexibility⑤ they possess being severely hampered by an infamous’three-second memory’.
Now， fish are regarded as steeped⑥ in social intelligence， pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation， punishment and reconciliation⑦， exhibiting stable cultural traditions， and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food.
Fish can recognize individual “shoal mates”， social prestige and even tracked relationships. They use tools， building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories.
Fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate⑧ groups， giving them “ample time” to evolve complex， adaptable and diverse behavior patterns that rivaled those of other vertebrates.
① dim-witn. 傻瓜；笨蛋
② manipulativeadj. 操作的；用手控制的
③ drudgev. 做苦工
④ behavioraladj. 行为的
⑤ flexibilityn. 易曲性；适应性，灵活性；弹性
⑥ steepedadj. 沉浸在……中的；充满……的
⑦ reconciliationn. 和解，和好
⑧ vertebrateadj. 有脊椎的；脊椎动物的
鱼类的指挥超乎我们的想象
鱼是具有社会智商的动物，它们不应被称为动物王国中的笨蛋。 鱼类不是简单地凭本能行事，它们很机灵，有控制能力，甚至很有教养。 目前鱼被认为是非常聪明的动物。
过去鱼类被看作单调乏味、脑袋只有豌豆大的笨蛋，只会受‘本能’驱使，仅有的一点儿行动灵活性也被它那臭名昭著的‘三秒钟记性’严重阻碍了。
现在，鱼被认为充满着社会智商，运用马基雅维利式的策略，诸如操纵、惩罚和顺从，表现出固有的文化传统，并通过合作来勘查敌情和捕捉食物。
鱼可以识别各自的鱼群伙伴，社会威望，甚至相关的人际关系。 它们会使用工具，修筑结构复杂的窝，还表现出长期的记忆力。
鱼是最古老的主要脊椎动物，他们有“足够多的时间”来进化出复杂多样并且有适应能力的行为模式，与其他脊椎动物相抗衡。
