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Who discovered the alarm response in minnows?
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ostariophysan
Knifefish, or featherback (Xenomystus nigri)
The alarm response in minnows was discovered by the Austrian biologist Karl von Frisch in 1938.1
Through his experiments with the minnow (Phoxinus), von Frisch demonstrated that a chemical "alarm substance" is released from specialized cells in the epidermis when the skin is injured. When other members of the school perceive this substance through their nasal organs, they exhibit a rapid fright reaction. This communication mechanism is a characteristic feature of most ostariophysan fishes and serves as a vital warning system against predation for schooling species.1