What do our fish think we are?

[jaylach]

I feed my cichlids ~6:00 PM and then toss in a couple of meal worms ~8:30 PM for my rope fish which is a nocturnal hunter. Light goes off ~9:00 PM.

Now just about any time during the day -- say I go from my kitchen back to my couch which is right next to my tank -- the cichlids will gather in a group right where I feed them through a food flap in the hood. They will sit there near the surface with all facing me.

Now I'm sure that this is just a 'learned' reaction such as Pavlov's dogs but sometimes wonder how they actually see us. We are really not far into knowing just how much intelligence many animals posses. Take birds for example. Until not long ago it was believed that birds were in possession of no real intelligence and reacted strictly through instinct but now we know that some species of birds have an intelligence level at least on par with a dog and/or cat.

One thing that really makes me wonder is that, if no rudimentary reasoning were involved, why do my cichlids not react the same if I have someone over and the person goes to look at the tank. If it is someone else the fish do not react, they react in this way only if it is me, the food source. To me this indicates at least the ability to recognize one person from another.

Please let us not turn this into a copy of an old thread where it was discussed as to if fish had emotions. I'm just curious as to if others have seen the same behavior.

 

[Byron]

Fish remember associations very well. For example, a person feeds them, so naturally when they see a person they are hopeful of being fed. This is why I always suggest that one needs to sit motionless for some time if you want to observe the actual interactions, you want the fish to forget you and food. I always tap the tank frame gently when I feed, and without exception all the fish will appear within seconds. More conditioning.

They also have the ability to remember times during the day when you feed them, and if it is at the same time they will be more visible. Their circadian rhythm is part of this. They know when it will get dark, or should get dark, and their metabolism begins to change accordingly. This has been observed in blind fish, proving that it is not visible sight to the light changes in 24 hours. This is why regular light/dark is so important.

Taking this one step further, they may well recognize you as very different from someone else. I remember an article several years back about a discus keeper who always wore a white lab coat when in the fish room. The discus had no fear of him, but if anyone not in a white coat appeared, they scattered behind plants and objects in fear.

 

[jaylach]

Fish remember associations very well. For example, a person feeds them, so naturally when they see a person they are hopeful of being fed. This is why I always suggest that one needs to sit motionless for some time if you want to observe the actual interactions, you want the fish to forget you and food. I always tap the tank frame gently when I feed, and without exception all the fish will appear within seconds. More conditioning.

They also have the ability to remember times during the day when you feed them, and if it is at the same time they will be more visible. Their circadian rhythm is part of this. They know when it will get dark, or should get dark, and their metabolism begins to change accordingly. This has been observed in blind fish, proving that it is not visible sight to the light changes in 24 hours. This is why regular light/dark is so important.

Taking this one step further, they may well recognize you as very different from someone else. I remember an article several years back about a discus keeper who always wore a white lab coat when in the fish room. The discus had no fear of him, but if anyone not in a white coat appeared, they scattered behind plants and objects in fear.

Hmmm, interesting; especially your last paragraph. I live in sweats as to what I wear. Many of these are similar in color. This could easily relate to your reference as to the discus and the white lab coat.

 

[Archerfish]

I am sure Archerfish use facial recognition. It is simply astounding. Family members are able to approach the tank and get within inches. While a complete stranger causes near panic with the fish bolting to the other side of the tank and hiding among the plants. They are beyond a doubt the smartest fish I've ever had the pleasure to serve as their 'concierge'.

 

[Fishmanic]

@Archerfish
later this year, we will have a Fish of the Month contest featuring any fish instead of our usual species specific FOTM contest. Hope you enter your interesting species at that time.
video of Archerfish in action

 

[Alice B]

I feed my cichlids ~6:00 PM and then toss in a couple of meal worms ~8:30 PM for my rope fish which is a nocturnal hunter. Light goes off ~9:00 PM.

Now just about any time during the day -- say I go from my kitchen back to my couch which is right next to my tank -- the cichlids will gather in a group right where I feed them through a food flap in the hood. They will sit there near the surface with all facing me.

Now I'm sure that this is just a 'learned' reaction such as Pavlov's dogs but sometimes wonder how they actually see us. We are really not far into knowing just how much intelligence many animals posses. Take birds for example. Until not long ago it was believed that birds were in possession of no real intelligence and reacted strictly through instinct but now we know that some species of birds have an intelligence level at least on par with a dog and/or cat.

One thing that really makes me wonder is that, if no rudimentary reasoning were involved, why do my cichlids not react the same if I have someone over and the person goes to look at the tank. If it is someone else the fish do not react, they react in this way only if it is me, the food source. To me this indicates at least the ability to recognize one person from another.

Please let us not turn this into a copy of an old thread where it was discussed as to if fish had emotions. I'm just curious as to if others have seen the same behavior.

They think we are food dispensers

 

[seangee]

Taking this one step further, they may well recognize you as very different from someone else. I remember an article several years back about a discus keeper who always wore a white lab coat when in the fish room. The discus had no fear of him, but if anyone not in a white coat appeared, they scattered behind plants and objects in fear.

Perhaps even a step further. My pond fish all come rushing to the surface when I walk across the decking before they can see me. They completely ignore my wife (or the dog) when they walk across the same decking.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

My fish all recognise me....especially when I come from the kitchen into the lounge where their aquariums are.

Their food is in the kitchen.

Every single time its one or two suddenly perk up and go to the area of the aquarium underneath the feeding hatches, within seconds the rest are there, with those big puppydog eyes, begging for food.

On fasting days, they all gang up, noses almost touching the glass and give me a death stare.

There is no sitting or standing to watch the hooligans....nope.....its "well don't just sit/stand there woman, you haven't fed us today...FEED US....FEED US.....NOW!!" (even when they were fed 10 minutes before and I emerge from the kitchen with my breakfast or any other meal or even just a mug of coffee)

 

[Essjay]

My very first betta flared at my son whenever he saw him. If he came in from outside, the betta was facing the door as our son came in, flaring. Son swore he'd done nothing to upset the betta. Son was in his late 20s and wore nothing but black. One day I had an idea. The basket with the ironing waiting to be done was in the kitchen so I pulled out one of the black shirts and one of my bright floral patterned blouses. I put on the black shirt, son put on my bright blouse, then we walked past the betta's tank. The betta flared at me in black but ignored son in bright colours.

So it was black the betta flared at not the person. I have no idea why the betta reacted to black since it was an adverse reaction not associated with feeding etc. Unless of course our son had been teasing the betta and wouldn't admit it

 

[Alice B]

My Marine Betta did the skinny fish dance to beg for guppies, but only for me. My twin daughters were the same height, same hair color but never gave out guppies

 

[BleuTheBetta]

My betta Bleu only comes to the front of the tank with interest for my dad and I.
I feed around 7am and 5pm every day. He knows that, and I can tell. Though he does still come to the front when I just walk into my room. For other people, if he knows I’m gone, he’ll only go for food, and then back into a hiding place. He’s a shy fish for people he doesn’t know. My dad he’s fine with, he loves my dad, because my dad is the bringer of food when I’m gone. But everyone else in my family plus visitors, he ignores and does his own thing.
Bleu knows my dad and I best, which is why he comes to the front for us.

 

[sharkweek178]

My platy seems to recognize me. He looks at me and he'll sometimes follow my finger a little if I hold it up to the tank. My pygmy corys always swim and hide when I approach the tank so they must think I'm a predator. My honey gourami and neon tetras don't acknowledge my presence. They'll eat when I feed them. But I don't feed them at the same time consistently every day so I haven't trained them to have an expectation when food is coming.

 

[GaryE]

I have read the lateral line matters. Yes, we can be recognized visually. But the vibration patterns we create as we walk also are signatures to creatures able to pick them up easily. A Betta with its poor distance vision probably uses that, while a sharp eyed predatory Cichlid has other means.

If I enter my fishroom, the fish just keeping doing whatever. If friends come to see my fish, they see empty looking tanks. It's frustrating, but it is easy to spot. Tests done on some livebearers have shown they'll count dots on doors to find larger quantities of food. They're able to make the connection between abstract markings, and where the food is, elsewhere. That's cool stuff.

When I video my fish, it helps if I stand the camera on its tripod in front of the tank for a few hours before I start shooting. If I don't they are very wary of the camera.

They associate us with food delivery. Cichlids are very visual, so maybe that's how. Shape, shadow, movement, faces - we know so little about how their brains work.

I once put a group of fish out in a pond. They fed on bugs and algae, and I never fed them over the summer. I was not around that pond much. In late September, I brought a much larger group back into their 75 gallon tank. Standing ten feet away, I opened a cupboard and took out the food container. All of the older fish charged the glass. Those older fish recognized the food after 4.5 months.

In a day, even the young ones recognized the jar. Food for thought...

 

[Rocky998]

"What do our fish think we are?"

gods, they think we're gods.

 

[Byron]

Perhaps even a step further. My pond fish all come rushing to the surface when I walk across the decking before they can see me. They completely ignore my wife (or the dog) when they walk across the same decking.

This might also be sound recognition. Fish have remarkable hearing involving the lateral line and "ears" and can recognize sounds. Like the feeding tap I use. The reverberations made by different people and animals can likely be detected. Sound travels clearer in water too. I recall reading some years ago how the fish in the aquarium can hear the water running in the pipes of your house. And I know when a car door closed outside, the fish in my tanks would jump.