Key Magic Mushroom Ingredient Makes Fish Less Aggressive and Lazier

Research shows magic mushrooms make fish lazier and less aggressive

Researchers in Canada tested whether the effects of psilocybin extend to the social behavior of the amphibious mangrove rivulus fish

Scientists Gave ‘Aggressive’ Fish Psychedelic Drugs. A Breakthrough Came Next

Move over, coked-up salmon. Fish dosed with psilocybin, the psychoactive component found in magic mushrooms, showed less aggression toward peers compared to their normal behavior in laboratory experiments, according to a study published on Thursday in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.Scientists have studied the effects of psilocybin on humans and a variety of other mammals, but fish offer unique insights into the effects of this compound due…

Key magic mushroom ingredient makes fish less aggressive and lazier

More than 200 mushrooms—primarily those belonging to a genus of gilled mushrooms called Psilocybe—contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin. In the brain of mammals, this chemical can bind to serotonin receptors and influence behavior and emotions, including aggression, appetite, and mood. Its effects on the social behavior of animals, however, remain largely undescribed.

Magic mushrooms make mean fish lazier and more chill

Psilocybin may selectively lower aggressive behavior in the the notoriously nasty mangrove rivulus.