A batfish ‘talking’ with humans…

By Bev Mortimer – Breaking , New Discovery

A team of Swiss marine biologists, studying at long length the newly discovered batfish with a human face, has made an incredible discovery that this batfish, called ‘pancake’ batfish, has the ability to communicate with humans and solve complex problems.

Batfish discovered in 2022 expedition
A pancake batfish with a human face – Credit: Museums Victoria

And this extraordinary communication ability of the pancake batfish is being considered “a breakthrough discovery”.
The research was initially done by marine biologists in diving suits, who have come in close contact with these special batfish off the coasts of Australia, and who have studied this recently discovered batfish in their own habitat, staring at them ‘face to face’ as it were for hours. These marine biologists recounted they suddenly felt a type of ‘frisson’ through their bodies. On reaching the surface of the ocean each member of the first fact-finding, five-man team said they felt the same frisson-like, electronic pulse or wave through go through their bodies.
The marine biologists are members of an esteemed group of Swiss biologists, who are frequently in discussion and sharing sessions among Nobel Prize laureates in various scientific fields from marine research to technological development. They all have strong, sound reputations for scientific research and discovery.

The shape of the this batfish resembles a pancake

They are all amazed by the findings that these pancake batfish have a kind of communication skill with humans that could unlock many mysteries of the ocean. Their astonishing find has just publicly been released in time for 1 April, ‘poisson d’avril’ or ‘Aprilskämt’.
They and their colleagues started believing that some form of communication was going on and considered the possibility that these waves they felt in their bodies and that they receive from the batfish are ‘signals’. Their further studies led them to the discovery that the batfish has developed the ability to emit a low-level electromagnetic field that can be detected by humans wearing special sensors – similarly to how radio waves are used for communication.
And with specialised electronic and equipment developed by scientists in technological and electromagnetic fields, that can translate these signals, the marine biologists have further found this batfish is able to produce a series of ‘vocalisations’ that humans cannot hear or understand, but can be detected with their specialised equipment.

The pancake batfish’s two front ‘arm-like’ legs enable it to literally walk on the floor of the ocean – Credit ‘Science focus’

Scientists in other fields are developing technology that can hopefully fully translate these vocalisations into human language, allowing the batfish to perhaps “speak” with humans.
According to the marine biologists the batfish appears to have developed a sophisticated sign language, and uses its arm-like legs with which it can actually walk on the sea floor, to make complex gestures that can be understood by trained divers or researchers. Marine biologists and other scientists are learning to interpret these gestures and communicate with the batfish in a kind of underwater ‘dialogue’. The batfish appears to have special sensors, or organs designed to detect or respond to certain stimuli or signals. The organs or structure allow it to communicate with other organisms, such as visual or auditory organs, or even chemical or electrical receptors.
When the fish emits signals they can be received by the special devices, worn by the divers. This discovery has hugely excited other scientists in electromagnetic and technology fields, who are working on devices that interprets these signals and converts them into audible or visual messages. These are something like a translator or a decoder that can decode the fish’s signals into a language that humans can understand.
The special devices are starting to translate these signals into text, and those in technological fields are going further in experimentation to display the ‘signals’ onto a screen or device in the form of text messages for humans to read.
The marine biologists and other scientists admit that at this point in time, it might be all hypothetical and a bit far-fetched to suggest that a fish could have a conversation with humans in the traditional sense, but it’s certainly plausible to realise some form of communication taking place.
Scientists are currently experimenting with a devices to translate the signals into audible sounds or tones, similar to a musical instrument, which humans could learn to interpret as a form of communication. And the hope and anticipation is certainly there that these signals will eventually be translated into ‘voice’.
So in the future divers could chat in the deep with the pancake batfish while those at home could have a pancake batfish in a tank in their living room and exchange messages – or even have a conversation!
And as the saying goes, if something is too good to be true, it is probably not… and as they say in Europe: , ‘fêtes de fous’ and ‘pesce d’Aprile’ .. or just plain ‘Happy April Fool’s Day!’