Are fish intelligent?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
W

Wesley M

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2013
512
1
0
St. George, Utah USA
I never thought fish to be a very intelligent animal, but the past few months have changed my mind. I have 2 JDs, my female I've had since she was an inch (almost three years ago) and my male I just bought but have no clue how old he is. They're both just over 6 inches. I noticed that they follow me around. I have a six foot long tank and they hangout on whatever side I am on. However whenever somebody else is in the room they tend to shy away into their hiding places. I always thought they just wanted food but thought it was weird that they only came out for me. Just now I was laying on my couch right next to my tank and I looked over and my male JD was chilling right next to me (the couch is perpendicular to the tank and on the far right end). There aren't any decorations or hiding places in that area so he has no real reason to be there. Plus I know for a fact that he is stuffed because I just gave them a huge meal of brine shrimp and pellets an hour earlier. Is it possible that my fish recognize me as "their human" and like being around me? Maybe I'm just crazy and I feel stupid for even asking haha but don't make fun of me because I know how rediculous this sounds! I am sure some of you have wondered/experienced this before!

Sent from my EVO using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
yes.... I have a male Dempsey that does the same thing
 
Fish do have some level of intelligence but it's not how we tend to look at it, they're more instinct and survival driven. But cichlids and those higher 'thinkers' definately, IMO come to recognise the bringer of food. I find this to be quite different to tetras and what not that tend not to be interactive with their owners with the exception of feeding times. Cichlids and many other fish that show higher brood care have obviously developed this more 'intelligent' adaptation to ensure the survival of their genes.

And then there's fish that have learnt to use tools, there's a great example filmed in Australia, of a triggerfish picking up a shell fish and repeatedly beating it against a rock to open it.

Now I'm no fish behaviour expert or psychologist but all this definately lends itself to the conclusion that some fish definately have quite an ability to learn.

What I find interesting is that those intelligent fish seem to learn things that they'd never learn in the wild. After a time I'm sure you JD's would have very little objection to letting you stroke them. There's some great stuff out there showing mudskippers crawling all over their owners hands to get food. However don't mistake this placid behaviour for affection, as horrible as it sounds this really is just that they've learnt not to percieve you as a threat and that you bring the food. Put these two things together and you're left with fish that are all to happy to rush to the glass when they see you.

Having said that. Mine definately love me, because that's what pets are for!
 
Yes they defiantly have a level of intelligence, especially predators IME they definitely learn tricks to catching prey and they watch and learn a lot more than we think, I agree a lot of fast multiplying "food" fish tend to be mostly instinct than intelligence and although I think every fish is highly driven by instinct I have definitely seen some of my fish learning things


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Lots of fish seem to associate with one individual; hear it often from people at work. Also my ebjd seems to always hide when a friend is over, not sure if its because of their jerkier movements around the tank, or there's two of us, or because it's not me.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Yeah I hand feed my Fire Eel so he pretty much recognizes my hand as his source of food. But my Angels and Blood Parrots constantly follow me around the tank as well.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Had an Oscar. My first big fish back in day, me and h shared upstairs and if someone besides me would come up stairs he would hide to they leave. I have a plakat Betta that is obsessed with my gf. In my 6 ft tank when I am in fish room the angels, severums, and parrots hang on the side I am near. Smaller dithers seem to know nothing. Quite funny


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
It is intelligence, but at a basal level - it's associated behaviour - they can definitely recognize people or places and react to that. For example, there's stories of people taking fish out of one tank and placing them in a tank right next door. The fish remembers their old home, right next door, that they can't swim to, so they keep on trying to jump out of the tank (and eventually either make it, or die on the floor). They also can associate certain people with food, and hence seem to 'beg' or swim towards you or come up towards one part of the tank for food. I feed my fish at one spot in the tank every day, and so now whenever they're hungry, they go to that exact spot.

If you wanna compare them to mammalian pets, they're like dogs. You can teach it all sorts of tricks and everything, based entirely on positive/negative reinforcement. :) But then cats are truly intelligent, they can actually decide on things - rather than just acting on instincts and associated behaviours. :)
 
Fish are more intelligent than people give them credit for. Most people will say, "they're just fish" but those people never really spend time around fish to make such a judgement. Think of them like birds. Sure some birds like sparrows and small finches are not exactly smart. They go widely by instinct with a capacity for learning. On the other hand, there are many species of parrots that can outsmart some people.

I dont think a neon tetra is going to win a science fair but large cichlids and many species for that matter are smart. I used to trick my Oscar all the time. Now he tricks me. He knows that my left hand is a distraction and the right hand holds food. Even if I hold food in my left hand, he still keeps an eye on the right. I used to use my left hand to keep him occupied while my right hand target fed my cats. When I do successfully trick him, he notices immediately and his colors flare. Now he simply bolts a few inches toward one hand and turns around waiting for the real feed hand to release food. It is an interesting intelligent behavior. After 3 years I can say he has learned all my tricks, I can no longer outsmart my own fish

I have many other examples that are difficult to describe. Reading about these behaviors simply does it no justice. If you spend all your time with a few specific fish you will see the intelligence. Alot of intelligent behaviors can be linked to operative conditioning and that is the best way to teach a fish. However, if you really do give them the time, you will notice intelligent behaviors that you never (or never wanted to) teach.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom