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It Turns Out That This Is How Fish Sleep That We Don't Know

Do you how the fish to sleep? Well here Petpi will introduce how to sleep fish and some facts that you should know.

Smart friends, many of us don't know how fish sleep. Every living thing, especially humans and animals, of course need a break from all activities throughout the tiring day. However, each living thing does have a different way. 

Like a bat that sleeps by hanging its legs on top and its head on the bottom. Similarly, fish have a unique way of sleeping.

Maybe because we rarely pay attention to it, so we don't know how fish sleep. 

Then, how do fish sleep? For those of you who want to know how, let's see the explanation below. 

Also read: Cats Don't Want To Be In Cages? Turns Out This Is The Cause!

8 Ways Fish Sleep That Are Rarely Known

No need to go far, if you have fish at home, pay attention to the fish in the aquarium. Fish seem to never close their eyelids and even lie down like other animals that are resting. 

It Turns Out That This Is How Fish Sleep That We Don't Know

Then, when do fish sleep? Just like humans, the fish's normal sleep time is at night. However, this can also change depending on how it is treated and the environment around it.

Now, after knowing the hours of sleep, surely you are curious about what a sleeping fish looks like? Quoted from various sources, the following is a complete explanation of how fish can sleep.

1. Keep Eyes Open

Unlike the sleep that is usually done by humans or other animals, which during sleep must close their eyes, fish eyes remain open when he is sleeping. This may be what makes us often do not know if the fish is actually sleeping. 

If you have pet fish in the aquarium, you can pay attention to how the fish look when they are sleeping.

For example, when he is slow to respond when you feed him, it could be that the fish is sleeping. Then, some fish also choose to stay silent while they sleep. 

2. Keep Moving While Sleeping

This way of sleeping fish only occurs in types of fish that must move in order to breathe. Sharks are one type of fish that while sleeping are still moving. 

The goal is to maintain the flow of water to reach its gills so that these ocean predators can still get enough oxygen.

So, for some fish, especially those that are very large, the fish usually have to keep moving and keep their eyes open even when they are asleep. 

3. Hiding In Groups

These small fish whose habitat is in these coral rocks have an organized way of sleeping. Small fish choose to hide on the sidelines of the rocks when they want to sleep.

This is so that they can avoid predators while they are sleeping. This way they think is safe so they can sleep comfortably. 

4. Mammal Fish Brain Stays Active While Sleeping

There are unique things found in mammalian fish such as whales and dolphins, where they breathe using lungs. So these two fish must regularly come to the surface of the sea to get oxygen. 

Therefore, dolphins include fish that have a different sleep method and are commonly known as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, which means a semi-conscious sleep state. 

So, dolphins sleep with half of their brains still active and half resting. The other side can take turns resting after four hours.

If the right brain is going to sleep, the left brain remains open, and vice versa. This semi-awakening condition makes the dolphins able to continue to breathe very smoothly. 


5. Digging Sand To Sleep

There is one very unique way of sleeping fish, namely by digging in the sand. Some fish that live on the seabed will sleep by digging the sand first.

This they do to avoid predators that can eat them at any time and also to save energy. 

6. Fish Can Sleep Deprivation

Not only humans can sleep deprived but it turns out that fish can also sleep less, you know. The amount of time this fish sleeps depends again on the species, environmental factors and how active it is. Like fish that live in an aquarium, their sleep cycle will be determined by interior lights. The fish will sleep when the light is turned off. 

So, almost all fish will rest by reducing their activity and metabolism. In addition, research also shows that fish can reduce their metabolism and activity but fish can still remain alert to the dangers that could suddenly attack them. 

7. Fish Have Their Own Sleeping Position

According to the main agency FishBase, fish species that exist worldwide are estimated at up to 33,230 species.

Now based on this data, it is also known that each fish species has its own sleeping position and some of them even make their own bed.

For example, there are several types of fish that swim and lie on the seabed, at the bottom of a river, or the floor of an aquarium. Then, there are also some coral reef fish such as damselfish that sleep curled up among the coral branches.

Uniquely, there are also species such as loach ( Loaches ) which are known to have sleeping positions such as looking dead, lying upside down or lying on their back. 

Next keep in mind that the way fish sleep varies and they can't stay in the perfect position to sleep well.

Because in order to breathe, they must flap twice as fast on their flippers to create a flow of oxygen-rich water through their gills.

8. Fish Can Reverse Sleep Patterns

Another unique fact is that there are many species of fish that can reverse their sleep patterns if needed.

For example, as shown in a groundbreaking study from the Canadian Journal of Zoology, white suckers ( Catostomus commersonii ) can become nocturnal when they leave the group to keep an eye on predators. 

In addition, you may know that the human sleep cycle can be disrupted when entering the early stages of parenthood (old age). Well, the same thing applies to fish, especially the stickleback species ( Gasterosteus ). 

Thus a review of how fish sleep from several types of fish around the world. Hopefully the reading above can add insight and be useful for all of us, Friend Smart! 

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