What is the memory span of a fish?

Question

Is it really 5 seconds?

Answer 1

Forget the old jokes about goldfish: a University of Plymouth psychologist wants to explode the myth that fish have a three-second memory span. Dr Phil Gee claims fish can remember things for at least three months and can even tell the time - or at least sense what time of day it is.
He said fish can learn that pressing a tiny lever in their tanks can dispense food at certain times of the day.
Dr Gee said: "Scientists have known for a long time that fish, even goldfish, have more than a three-second memory. In fact, research has shown fish have a memory span of at least three months.
"Research has also shown that fish can learn to distinguish between different shapes, colours and sounds."
FROM http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?ContentId=699

Many people have never stopped to think about it, but fish are smart, interesting animals with their own unique personalities—just like the dogs and cats we share our homes with. Did you know that fish can learn to avoid nets by watching other fish in their group and that they can recognize individual "shoal mates"? Some fish gather information by eavesdropping on others, and some—such as the South African fish who lay eggs on leaves so that they can carry them to a safe place—even use tools.
FROM http://www.liberation-mag.org.uk/fish.htm
A

Answer 2

In Goldfish - experiments show that once they're taught to perform a certain task in response to a certain stimulus, goldfish will remember the task for several days.

Another example of fish memory is the way Salmon use their sense of smell, (or what's known as olfactory imprinting), to return to the same stream they were born in during mating season. Some species, like the arctic char, can remember the smell of their siblings for days, and others can remember and recognize specific fish who are aggressive opponents.

Also - all fish eventually encounter new types of prey, become efficient at feeding on it, and then remember their new skills up to a month later when they encounter this prey again.

So basically fish learn and remember where their nest is, what the boundaries of their territory are, and where their mates, food, rivals and predators hang out, and even possibly what they look like.

So - they might not look like it, but fish can have pretty good memories.

Answer 3

It is said, by the professional, that there memory span is three seconds, however, I found this out on the net:

That blank look in the eyes of a fish may not be evidence of a three-second memory span after all; it might be clockwatching.
Research has shown that far from being forgetful, fish can learn to tell the time.

Phil Gee, a psychologist from Plymouth University, made the findings by training fish to collect food at certain times of day. Initially the fish were taught to press a small lever in their bowl to get their food. When they had mastered this, Mr Gee's research team restricted the availability of the food until it was dispensed for just one hour in the day.

"The fish worked out that if they hit the lever around that time, they would get food," Mr Gee said. "Their activity around the lever increased enormously just before the set hour when their food was dispensed. But then if no food came out, they stopped pressing the lever when the hour was up.

"It shows that they are probably able to adapt to changes in their circumstances, like any other small animals and birds. It tells us that they are able to learn."

Mr Gee said scientists had known for some time that that fish - even goldfish - have more than a three-second memory and can remember things for up to three months. They can also learn to distinguish between different shapes, colours and sounds.

It is hoped the discovery that they can sense timing could benefit fish farmers in the developing world, enabling them to control their stocks without expensive equipment.

Fish could be trained to return to a feeding area at a certain time. Research in Norway has already shown that fish can be released into a fjord and summoned back to a feeding area when a particular sound is played.

Efforts are under way to set up a similar pilot project in Ghana using timing to control fish stocks.

Mr Gee said he did not know where fish got their reputation for forgetfulness. "It has probably come from a joke," he said.

Any help?

Answer 4

People Say It's Four Seconds But I Believe They Can Remember Much More Than That. I Mean, How Do People Actually Know, Have They Ever Been A Fish!?!?

Answer 5

They actually have a longer memory span than people think. They will notice anything new placed in the environment and investigate it. Scientists have also found that they will respond to a lever that if operated dispenses food (bit like rats, monkeys with food and other stimuli's)
They have now found that the animal with the shortest memory span is a hamster which is either so dopey it does not notice or to cool to care if anything changes about its habitat

Answer 6

A 5 second memory span of a fish is a complete myth.!! Fish are more intelligent than they appear. In many areas, such as memory, their cognitive powers match or exceed those of 'higher' vertebrates, including non-human primates. Their long-term memories help fish keep track of complex social relationships. Their spatial memory—equal in all respects to any other vertebrate—allows them to create cognitive maps that guide them through their watery homes, using cues such as polarized light, sounds, smells, and visual landmarks.

Answer 7

No! I saw Professor Winston (I think thats his name) doing an experiment with fish. When the fish were young he put a scary thing on the end of a stick and chased them with it. A few months later he put the same thing back into the tank and immediately all the fish went crazy!!

And as far as my own fish go, if they only have a 5 second memory, then why do they go crazy for food when I get close to their fish tank?

Answer 8

A year or so ago the TV show Mythbuster tried to train gold fish. The fish that were trained navigated a maze much better than the untrained fish. Based on the show, I would bet it is longer than 24 hours.

Answer 9

2 seconds

Answer 10

Well, I had a beta fish for 6 years... and he knew exactly who I was. He'd jump up and start swimming around, he knew I was the food giver. Three seconds my ***