Fish Intelligence

[Cian McLiam]

Hi all,
Its been a while since our last poll on fishy brain power (Poll one, Poll two) but I think this one is an important one. Since being introduced to cichlids Ive been amazed at how they show such curiosity and interest in the world outside their tank. Everyone knows that fish like Angels and Discus like to look at you as much as you look at them but are other fish just more subtle about it so you dont even notice it?

I have an insomniac Angel, he never sleeps and those of you who have seen the Father Ted comedy show may remember a scene where father Ted gets up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. The house is pitch black and as he creeps in the lounge and turns on the light, there is the mad housekeeper Mrs. Doyle standing in the pitch black with a tray of sandwiches in case someone is hungry during the night.
My Angel is like Mrs. Doyle, even if Im just checking doors and windows are locked at night, even in the darkness I can still make out my Angel peering out from the gloom, eye nearly stuck to the glass to see whos creeping around.

Well, for awhile I felt only the Angels showed any kind of interest in my life. Lately however Ive begun to realise there are other eyes watching me as I eat my dinner, and even the neons seem to have a way of letting me know they are unhappy. I always know if something is up in the tank because the first sign is the neons go on strike. They set up a picket beside the large piece of bogwood and there they sit all day unless I pay some attention and give them some TLC.

The pl*cs seem to be like the mad lunatic that lives at the end of the road. No-one sees much of him outside the house but as you pass you can make out a figure in the shadows or see a curtain twitch. They are wary of the world outside and have their own way of saying 'Im doin great by myself pal, so stop bothering me..'

So is this all in my head? Are they just going about their daily business regardless of whether the house is on fire or the roof caving in?

Cast your vote to decide or even slip your mouse into the fish tank!

Ken

 

[joshua]

actually i think its a more to do with the fish species... those less advanced (like tetras lol) do engage less with you (if any at all) but more advanced fish like cichlids have been known to interact with their owner (eg. rams learn how to 'beg' for food', fish get ready to eat... follow ur hand as if u're gonna drop food in n stuff)

 

[Tolak]

My platys will follow me around the tank if I'm doing something in the room. It may be that they know where the food comes from, as I always feed them from the left side of the tank. All my water test equipment is in a dresser on the right side of the tank. Every time I do tests I have 25 pairs of eyes that squeeze themselves down behind rocks on the lower right side of the tank to watch what I'm doing. Guess they just want to see their test results.

My plecs are like that old man at the end of the road. 2 lay around all day hardly moving, while the third hides as long as the light's on. I've checked on them at night a couple of hours after the lights are out. They get pretty wild and act sociable to each other.

Tolak

 

[CFC]

As many of you know i keep mainly medium/large predatory fish and i can say they deffinately watch what people are doing outside of the tank, my arowana, snakeheads and pike cichlid are particularly attentive and follow my every move around the room from one side of the tank to the other.

I dont think the smaller fish such as corys tetras and barbs are as aware of the outside world although these too will become excited when feeding time comes around or the tank lid is opened which shows a degree of intelligence.

As much as i hate to admit it cichlids, particularly the central american species, do tend to be more intellegent than the majority of fish and are a lot more interactive with their keepers though many of the perches which are closely related come a near second and some of the bigger catfish like RTC's, TSN's and large doradids like Megladoras will also become hand tame if given the time.

 

[aquarius]

i've noticed that my livebearers, particularly, swordtail and molly, tend to watch me just as i'm watching them. it's really funny. i'd be sitting across from the tank and we'd be staring at each other. and my gourami is very interactive too, it tends to follow me with its eyes as i move around the tank. i haven't found that to be true with my neons or cories though

 

[Cian McLiam]

kudos to the honest person, now go watch your fish!!

K

 

[angel_lover]

What an interesting topic!!I think my angels are more interested in the food then me but it's soo true they are always staring at me and my con is very interested in me as well.As for my tetras and guppies(forgive me for saying this)they are not very bright but my betta on the other hand seems very interested in me,he always comes right up when i go to the tank,he follows my fingers.Its sooo cute Oh and my dwarf gourmais is pretty interactive as well,he's with the angels maybe hes taking after tham

 

[smb]

I think they do but not in the same way we do, obviously. In thier own fishy way I think they do.

I don't think all fish do tho but CA's and a few SA's like an Oscar are heads and shoulders above any other fish as far as owner responsiveness (intelligence?). You can actually see them trying to think and they know who their owner is, and even more importantly to them who isn't. Other fish I think just follow anyone or any movement by the tank just to feed.

 

[mike777]

My fish sorta have their own little world, they dont even notice I'm feeding them until one floats right in front of them.

 

[Brattina88]

As for my tetras and guppies(forgive me for saying this)they are not very bright

lol!!
My guppies seem to be very interested though... then again maybe they just want some food When I go in the room (I watch them way more often than I feed them lol) Every single one will come out of hiding and start showing off. This remids me of the book the Intelegence of dogs (i think thats the title ) Because a lot of other authors/"dog people" argue that the book is based on how wilingly the dog is to listen to their owner, but one must argue just because some dogs are stuborn doesn't mean they are any less smart. Maybe the "dumber" fish just don't really care about whats going on outside of their home.

 

[zacharyrapchuk]

i have no clue about that poll
put one easier to understand

 

[living_dead]

I don't think most fish have that ability. But some of the cichlids do as well as koi and some goldfish. I'm not sure if its really intelligence but more instinct.

 

[Cian McLiam]

While the reasoning that fish are more instinctual than intelligent is very widespread, studies are showing this is just not the case, as this widely publicised report on the studies of scientists points out:

Scientists highlight fish 'intelligence'

Fish are socially intelligent creatures who do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits of the animal kingdom, according to a group of leading scientists.

Scientists say fish do not deserve their "dim-witted" reputation
Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured.

The three experts from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Leeds said there had been huge changes in science's understanding of the psychological and mental abilities of fish in the last few years.

Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause said fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures.

They said: "Gone (or at least obsolete) is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely by 'instinct',' with what little behavioural flexibility they possess being severely hampered by an infamous 'three-second memory'.

Behaviour patterns

"Now, fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation, exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food."

Recent research had shown that fish recognised individual "shoal mates", social prestige and even tracked relationships.

Scientists had also observed them using tools, building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories.

The scientists added: "Although it may seem extraordinary to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably compared to non-human primates."

They said fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate groups, giving them "ample time" to evolve complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that rivalled those of other vertebrates.

"These developments warrant a re-appraisal of the behavioural flexibility of fishes, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the learning processes that underpin the newly recognised behavioural and social sophistication of this taxon," said the scientists.

Food for thought?

Ken

 

[AquaNut]

In my mind, there is definitely a difference in intelligence between different species. Most of the tetras, barbs, and live bearers are as dumb as gravel, imo. I will say that my silver dollars are minutely ahead of the smaller characins in terms of intelligence, as they at least recognise me and know enough to wag their tails at me if they think I might be getting ready to feed them. In general though, they're big, dumb, aquatic cows. My opaline gouramis, pleco, and yo yo loaches are all a bit smarter than that. I can tell by the way they watch me and respond at feeding time, but also by the way they interact in the tanks, that they're more on the ball. My angelfish and bettas are much smarter and very interactive with me. Sometimes Jeff complains that one of my bettas who lives on my desk flirts with me too much and is providing too much competition. I have a little female betta who gets so excited to see me she does backflips. I recently got a convict cichlid, but he's really still just settling in and getting used to life in a tank that receives regular water changes. However, I have a beeeeeautiful baby tiger oscar named Una. I've only had her for a few weeks and I'm simply amazed at how she interacts with me already. After only a few days, she was eating from my fingers, and after a couple of hand feedings, she was tame enough to gently take the tiniest morcel from me. When I open the lid on her tank she comes up and bites the water to let me know she's ready for feeding time, and she's ALWAYS showing off, trying to get my attention, or swimming right over to the glass to visit when I sit by her tank. I love Una... and she's DEFINITELY smarter than any of my other fish.

 

[Eelzor]

I would say that fish are really on a world of there own, don't kid yourself. They do interact with humans in ways and can recognise specific people at different times or sounds and are actually quite intelligent, but they really don't interact much with the outside world in strong ways. Like I said they can recongnise people passing etc, but they have there limits. People are starting to know and like their fish so much it's getting to there heads a little. Of course if something smashed loud on the ground or near the tank, the fish would react to the sound and being a little shocked and scared, or if the house was on fire they would be all crazy because they never saw this 'big, bright, hot, orangish thing'. So very interactive fish like angels (Which I have) I have come to realise that they are easily tame and active. Gotta love em'!!! . So some fish do interact quite a bit, but I think this whole fish interacting with the outside world is getting to be a bee in your bonnet.