What You Might Not Know About Fish Intelligence

Being water creatures, fish differ from land animals in many basic intelligence and sensory ways.

Do Fish Sleep?

The problems with fish (except sharks) are that they do not have eyelids, and some live rather motionless lives, so it is hard to tell if they sleep. Fish do not sleep like we do. They simply rest. According to certain sources, fish “sleep” by blanking out their minds and daydreaming while floating and hiding around coral or plants.

Can Fish Swim Backward?

Some can those who do are mostly from the eel families.

How Do You Tell How Old a Fish Is?

Growth rings and ring-like structures on scales and in otoliths (the small bones of the inner ear), corresponding to seasonal changes in the environment can be used as a gauge for counting the age of a fish. Each pair of rings indicates one year.

Do Fish Chew?

Not the way we do. Carnivorous fish use their sharp teeth to capture and hold their prey, swallowing them in large pieces. Bottom dwellers such as rays use their large flat teeth to crush the shellfish they feed on, while herbivores have grinding mills in their throats called pharyngeal teeth instead. If fish chew, they will suffocate, as chewing interferes with the water passage over the gills.

Are Fish Color-blind?

Fish can see color to some extent. Some strikingly colored species use their vibrant pigmentation to attract mates, while others use it to ward off prey.

Do Fish Blink?

Fish do not have eyelids, so they cannot blink. However, they can rotate their eyeballs, which may look like they are blinking.

Can Fish Hear?

Even without a middle and outer ear, a fish can “hear” water vibrations via a porous lateral line along its body. Never tap the tank or the stand that holds it. Sound waves get magnified and travel through the water, shocking and tormenting the fish.

How Do Fish Communicate With One Another?

Physical gestures are one way. Male Siamese fighting fish, for example, display their fins to attract females. Most fish, when frightened or injured, also release chemicals called pheromones to warn other of danger. Be attentive to your fishes’ body language for hints about how they are feeling.

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