# Are fish social animals like cats and dogs?



## konstargirl (Dec 2, 2009)

Okay, every time I'm like eating my food or whatever, the fish will look at me like dogs and cats would when people start eating. I was wondering do fish recognize there owners faces too? A couple of times, my sister caught one of them following me to the door. Thanks. They been watching me eating or just look at me almost everyday now. Wonder what this means...


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Some fish are smart. Just depends on the fish. Bettas, and discus I can say definetly recognize the food giver. Most likely they recognize you and associate you with food. Eh... Goldfish, catfish, and koi I know for a fact can be trained to do a variety of tricks.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Fish quickly learn who feeds them and learn to beg. How good their eyesight is varies from fish to fish and how they exactly they tell you from others is an open question.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

My arowana only takes food from me but if someone else hand feeds him he goes for the hands not the food.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

My fish whatch me and hubby as well as the cats who in turn sit and stare at the fish.
Grandkids visit and the fish hide.


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## konstargirl (Dec 2, 2009)

^LoL. They probably don't like small children. Some animals don't like small children because of there personality.

emc: What do you mean by that?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

How do fish recognize people? I'm sure big cichlids do it by sight, the see quite well, even color and over long distances. And the cichlids will socialize with you, especially if they don't have any other fish to play with. But what about those teeny schooling fish? There isn't any reason for them to see much farther than the next fish in the school. Across the room ought to be out of the question, but they still follow the feeder. Maybe they recognize vibrations caused by the pattern of your steps. Maybe the recognize how you move or the shape of the shadow you cast on the tank. My fish seem to recognize the fish food container, no matter who is holding it.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

emc....you are exactly right..they learn to recognize shapes;shadows and movements.
try this..get a completely different size and shape food containerkeep it in another room.while you are in the room with the tank ; but on the far side from the fish ; have a stranger bring the can of food in and by the tank...see how they react to it..


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

I know for a fact that trout can see atleast 25-40yrds out of the water. When I first learned how to fish when I was a teen I found out that I caught more fish when wearing my hunting camo, then when I was wearing regular street cloths.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

Anyone who doubts fish intelligence should watch the mythbuster's episode where they taught the goldfish to swim through a maze for food. Also this funny tidbit. We are just now getting past the old "fish have a 2 second memory" tale. Trying to cover up the ethical dilemma of keeping fish in tiny bowls has created the idea that fish are stupid. 

As for recognition, my leaf fish not only recognize me, but the blue net I use to feed them the live shrimp. When I approach, they all come out of hiding, but nothing too dramatic. When they see the blue net, they all come rocketing toward the front-right side of the tank where I always put the shrimp in. So much for stealth and ambush predators...


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## uglyfishyay (Jan 16, 2010)

My rope fish hides all day long untill i come home. Friends come over and he hides. But when its just me and dopey he just lays at the bottom and stares at me. He also wraps himself aroumd my wrist when I put my hand in the tank! My other fish stare at me too and wont come out unless my friends shake in their food!


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## konstargirl (Dec 2, 2009)

Well when I sit and look at them they look straight at me when I'm walking around or if I watch them do there fish things. They do the same thing with my sister too. And every morning when I turn on the lights, they come swimming like crazy.


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## Momo (Jul 28, 2009)

My angels do this every night when I feed them. If any one else feeds them, they just wait for the food. When I feed them, as soon as I raise the hood, they come zooming. When I'm not feeding them ,sometimes they will just stare at me. I'm pretty sure they can tell i am the food provider


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## petlovingfreak (May 8, 2009)

You're on this site too Konstargirl, never seen you here before.


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## konstargirl (Dec 2, 2009)

^Hehe yup. Do I know you from somewhere??


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## petlovingfreak (May 8, 2009)

yep, aquatropicalfish.com, you posted the exact same thread there not long ago.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

None of my fish (except the Hatchets) seem to associate me with anything  Then again, I only have the basic community fish...

The hatchets will swarm around my fingers and nibble at them until I feed them!


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

All of my fish know that I am the feeder, but I really only have two fish that seem to be incredibly smart and that's my Black Ghost Knife and Betta.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Most of our fish have learned that when the top opens they most likely will get fed. 
The bettas, our African Butterflyfish, and Dragon Goby in particular will come to our fingers and wait for their flake/crickets/frozen bloodworms, respectively. 
Oh, and our fry swarm to the top of their tank anytime they see us come near. They are little fatties


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