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Fish suffer from social anxiety.
A new study has revealed that male fish with low status get stressed to such an extent that it has an impact on their brain.
The low-status fish have increased levels of oxidative stress in their brains – a chemical imbalance that is linked to poorer mental health in humans.
Experts are hopeful that the findings could help to treat people who suffer from stress-related disorders.
Dr. Peter Dijkstra, lead author of the research at Central Michigan University, said: “We found that low rank was generally linked to higher levels of oxidative stress in the brain.
“The patterns of oxidative stress in the brain are likely influenced by social experience modulating cellular processes in the brain.”
He added: “I think we just uncovered some interesting patterns across different divisions of the brain.
“The next step is to understand the regulation of oxidative stress better and how social stress influences this. This requires more rigorous experimental studies.”