The thought process of a fish as it tracks its prey has been filmed by scientists, revealing the precise pattern of brain activity which governs hunting behaviour.
The study by Japanese scientists is the first to produce a real-time recording of the exact brain processes at work in an animal carrying out its natural behaviour.
Previous studies have estimated patterns of brain activity using MRI scans to identify when different regions of the brain switch on or off, but the new study used a different technique to record which individual cells were engaged at any moment.
The technology could be used to gain greater understanding of the thought process of animals and humans, and to learn more about abnormalities which give rise to diseases of the brain, researchers said.