Mangrove rivulus fish show reduced aggression after psilocybin

7 articles · Updated · Popular Science · May 7

In Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Acadia University and University of British Columbia researchers found a 20-minute dose cut aggressive swimming bursts in lab fish.
The treated fish still performed lower-energy head-on displays, suggesting psilocybin dampened escalated conflict without eliminating social behaviour, though overall activity also fell.
The study, using genetically uniform rivulus from Florida-to-Brazil populations, adds animal-model evidence that could help refine future psychiatric research on anxiety, PTSD and depression.

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