Sentience in fishes: More on the evidence
Michael L. Woodruff
Animal Sentience August 3, 2026 DOI: 10.51291/2377-7478.1313 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Evolution Behavioral neurobiology Cognitive neuroscience Biological psychology Marine biology Animal studies Comparative psychology |
| Key points | Argues that teleost fish brains can support sentience without requiring pallium-neocortex homology, advocating a functionalist approach. Human neural correlates offer a starting point, but fish-specific research is needed. |
Abstract
In my target article, I argued that the brains of ray-finned fishes of the teleost subclass (Actinopterygii) are sufficiently complex to support sentience — that these fishes have subjective awareness of interoceptive and exteroceptive sense experience. Extending previous theories centered on the tectum, I focused on the organization of the fish pallium. In this Response to the commentaries, I clarify that I do not propose that the fish pallium is, or must be, homologous to the mammalian neocortex to play a role in sentience. Some form of a functionalist approach to explaining the neural basis of sentience across taxa is probably most appropriate. However, what is known about the neural correlates of consciousness in humans is adequate to provide a starting place for investigation of the correlates of sentience in other animals, including fishes. Ultimately, though, hypotheses and experiments to evaluate anatomical and physiological correlates specific to sentience in fishes will be necessary.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 20
- On a confusion about a function of consciousness Behavioral and Brain Sciences June 1, 1995
- Consciousness, accessibility, and the mesh between psychology and neuroscience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences December 1, 2007
- Consciousness in humans and non-human animals: recent advances and future directions Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Conscious machines: Defining questions Science January 25, 2018
- No iconic memory without attention. Consciousness and Cognition February 1, 2016
and 15 more in the library