Can fish remember things?
by Aquaboy on Friday, June 4th, 2010 | 3 Comments
My boyfriend is on vacation and he left me here to take care of his fish (cichlids). I always thought that fish had 3 second memory, at least thats what someone told me. Anyways he usually feeds them really early in the morning, like 5 am, but I woke up today at like 8, came downstairs and was having breakfast, and noticed that all the fish were sitting at the top of the tank waiting for food. If they never remember things then how did they know??
Other articles you might like;
- Is These Pellets Healthy + More Qs-?
- Would This Hurt The Guppy Fry?
- 90g Reef Aquarium Setup Day 5
- Ideas On Fish For Freshwater Community Aquarium?
- Work Experience Melbourne 2011?
No, they just follow their instinct. But there are fishes who can remember those who feed them.
Yes, fish can remember things. Cichlids and some other fish can recognize people that a certain person mean food and even distinguish between people; for example, when I approach my tank, my fish will gather near the left side of the tank where I feed, but they won’t do that for my husband.
They can also learn some tricks; there is a goldfish agility contest out there!
Of course fish can remember things.
How do you think wild fish catch their food, or find their way home?
I don’t know where this business about a 3-second memory came from, but there’s no truth to it at all.
Migrating fishes, such as salmon and eels, remember where to return after living somewhere hundreds of miles away for years.
Fish are, after all, vertebrates, and have fairly well-developed brains.
Cichlids, in particular, are usually regarded as being among the smartest fish families and are famous for complex and seemingly intelligent behavior.
Fish aren’t exactly Rhodes Scholars, but they can definitely remember things like when feeding time is, and which big fish to stay away from. Many of them also learn to recognize their keeper, and will respond to this person in a way they don’t respond to other people.
Once, I was sitting in a doctor’s waiting room that had a large aquarium between the entrance and the main part of the room. People walked in and out constantly, and none of the fish paid much attention. After a while, the nurse who feeds the fish walked over to the aquarium. Every fish in the tank instantly stopped what it was doing and swam over to her. They did this even before she got out the fish food and put some in the tank. These fish (an assortment of species) were able to distinguish one person from dozens of others by sight, and certainly remembered all this since feeding time the day before.