Do fish sleep?
Although fish do not have eyelids, they regularly have short naps, just like the higher vertebrates. Some sleep during the day, others at night. Sleeping fish hide in caves, crevices or coral canyons, lying on their sides or surrounding themselves with a coat of slime, which also helps to protect them from predators. As they sleep, alert. However, they never completely unconscious. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) taken of the fish brains have shown that resting fish do not have phases of deep sleep. Some fish even manage to continue swimming slowly while they are asleep.
Although fish do not have eyelids, they regularly have short naps, just like the higher vertebrates. Some sleep during the day, others at night. Sleeping fish hide in caves, crevices or coral canyons, lying on their sides or surrounding themselves with a coat of slime, which also helps to protect them from predators. As they sleep, alert. However, they never completely unconscious. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) taken of the fish brains have shown that resting fish do not have phases of deep sleep. Some fish even manage to continue swimming slowly while they are asleep.
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