Rainbow fish behave like bullfighters, study says

Rainbow fish behave like matadors by darting away from their predators at the last moment to avoid being eaten, a new study reveals. The tiny fish, also known as a Trinidadian guppy, spans less than an inch in length. It initially draws the attention of its most common predator – the much larger pike cichlid – by turning its irises black, which makes its eyes very conspicuous. According to a British team of scientists who performed experiments in water tanks using robots, the rainbow fish then uses quick reflexes to whip its head out of the way, causing the predator to miss, before swimming away. The speed of the whole interaction is around three hundredths of a second, meaning it's only fully observable using a high-speed camera.