The ability to recognise faces was thought to be too complex for a fish, but a new study suggests that this might not be the case. Scientists have found that the tiny striped Masked Julie, which lives among the rocks of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, can distinguish a friend from a foe. The species detects patterns around the eyes to distinguish individual faces, a skill thought to be limited to mammals and birds. Scientists have found that the tiny striped Masked Julie (pictured) can distinguish a friend from a foe by detecting unfamiliar patterns around the eyes. Eight adult male Masked Julie fish were placed them in a tank by researchers at Osaka City University.