Fishes recognition of the outside world.

[jayu]

Alright, how much do our fish understand about what's going on outside the box?

I recently hosted a small SuperBowl get together, my best friend was over with his son. While showing his son my tank, he quickly made a sharp move toward the tank pointing. All the fish quickly darted out of sight. Fast forward two nights later, I'm chatting it up with my four year old in the fish room and he does almost exactly the same thing as my friends son. The fish didn't bat an eye, just kept it moving.

I started thinking, I can't recall many times where either my four year old or my 1 1/2 yr old (whose as mischievous as they come) have ever frightened my fish. Add to that, I've seen fish respond to their owners when it comes to feeding, mine do all the time. But they seem to recognize when I have food in my possession. For instance, I have a cabinet with different dry foods, along with all types of other fish related junk (test kits, frag tools, supplements) sitting next to my display. I can grab anything out of there and my fish don't react. The moment I grab a container of pellets, it's like WHADDUP! I'm telling you it's crazy.

It's almost like they have a relationship with me much like my dog does. Except they don't lay on the couch.

What do you think?

 

[rdnelson]

I think they don't poop on the floor either. LOL

I think you are right but I believe it is not reasoning but more of conditioning. But who knows.

 

[ripped tide]

My fish love me. When I come to the tank, they swarm.


When I show up at a customer's home, all of the fish hide.

At home I am the feeder.

At someone else's home, I am the disturber.

They know the difference.

 

[jayu]

Ripped Tide;836334 wrote: My fish love me. When I come to the tank, they swarm.


When I show up at a customer's home, all of the fish hide.

At home I am the feeder.

At someone else's home, I am the disturber.

They know the difference.

That's more of the reaction that I see and expect when it comes to the feeder. What's tripping me out is being able to recognize past that. Like, I recognize that woman, or those kids that are always with feeder as being "safe". And to recognize that being just a scraper he 's approaching with vs. food.

 

[the-bubonic-one]

If anyone approaches the tank other then me or my girl my sailfin tang turns black and is visually disturbed. What about hearing? When I pick up the can of pellets I swear they can hear the shaking of the pellets across the room and SWARM before I even approach the tank.

 

[saltbubbles]

Same thing goes on in my house when people who are strangers to my fish visit. Like I've said before I like tobtalk to my fish and no, I'm not crazy.

 

[jef4y]

My daughter's boyfriend contended that fish are boring and have no personality. I proved him wrong. My fish are more responsive & alert than either of my dogs. LOL

 

[sewer urchin]

At someone else's home, I am the disturber.

Not just at someone else's home!

Edit: oh... I think that should read <u>disturbed, </u>I'll notify a Mod to get it fixed

;-)

 

[ripped tide]

Sewer Urchin;836457 wrote: Not just at someone else's home!

Edit: oh... I think that should read <u>disturbed, </u>I'll notify a Mod to get it fixed

;-)

Lol! Did my wife tell you to say that?

 

[shanepike]

When I put my face close to the tank, my yellow tang will often swim right up to me and hang out right in front of my face looking at me. It's a very different reaction than at feeding time. The blue tang, on the other hand, always goes into hiding

 

[ripped tide]

I have an iPhone with an otter box. The origional outer rubber layer tore up on mine, so my friends son gave me one of his extras. The one he gave me has a REALTREE camo design on the back. My prionurus punctatus must think that it looks like algae. Any time I put the phone up to the tank to take a pic, he frantically swims to the phone trying to "eat the algae".

It's gotten so bad that I can't use the phone to take pics any more. He is either in all the pics, keeps the camera from being able to focus, or pisses off the coral that I am trying to get a pic of....

 

[elfloyd]

I had a PBT that would follow my finger as I moved it back and forth across the front of the tank.

 

[CoralShop]

my picasso clowns will literally lay down in my hand if i leave it in the water long enough. They host my hand like an anemone..

 

[frantz]

I remember noticing my different goldfish growing up having different temperaments. I'd imagine they see us as just part of their environment. I also imagine that my female Maroon sees me as a big meanie who doesn't deserve to be anywhere near her and can be driven away by repeated charges and bites. The temperament of the perceiver makes a difference!