Scientists have discovered that a robotic fish may just be the tool needed to control a species wreaking havoc on many native aquatic populations: the mosquitofish.
After decades of searching for a solution, scientists replicated the mosquitofish’s natural predator, the largemouth bass, in robotic form and released it into controlled mosquitofish populations in an effort to minimize the damage caused by the invasive mosquitofish. This fear-based approach rendered the mosquitofish less active, less likely to disturb other creatures, and less likely to reproduce, all without having to kill the fish in an attempt to balance out the ecosystem.
“Hopefully, our approach of using robotics to reveal the weaknesses of an incredibly successful pest will open the door to improve our biocontrol practices and combat invasive species,” says Giovanni Polverino, lead author of the study and biologist at the University of Western Australia.
Though these robotic fish haven’t been released into natural bodies of water yet, plans are in the works to release them into freshwater pools in Australia where multiple endangered species are threatened by the mosquitofish. These robotic fish hold a lot of potential in curbing the invasive mosquitofish and rebalancing marine ecosystems.
