why do fish not go to sleep?

Question

ive always wondered do fish go to sleep?plz help

Answer 1

For people and most animals, wave changes in our brain occur. Different waves are produced when we sleep, this has been acknowledged in many sleep studies and is accepted as fact.

Fish however, have much less developed brains. Thus, inable to produce alternative brain waves that we commonly associate with sleep. However fish will experience a state you can compare to sleep. Slowing down, a decrease in their metabolic rate and lowered response to outside stimuli.

Parrotfishes are well known "sleepers". They will secrete mucous and lay upon seabeds for the night.

Other fish like sharks, tuna or stingrays which use ram-ventilation in their gills require water to continuously be passed through their gill systems in order to intake oxygen, opposed to being able to pump water through them. This constricts them to always having to moving about. Keeping this in mind, sharks will also require rest at times. In order for them to rest, they will slow in movement. Studies question weather or not sharks sleep at all because of ram-ventilation, however it is difficult to maintain such creatures for study outside their natural habitat, and its very difficult to monitor animals in water, at night...

We also know from studies of spiny dogfish [a shark](Squalus acanthias) that the central pattern generator which is responsible for these types of fishes navigation, is not located within the brain; therefore questioned if an unconscious shark like the above mentioned would even be capable of swimming.

Dolphins which would be another aquatic creature to consider is a concious breather. This says that they must actually "think" about coming to the surface to breathe. Russian scientists adequately proved in the mid 1970's that dolphins will actually catnap for 2-3 minutes beneath the surface of the water.

Answer 2

Yes fish do sleep but for only short periods and as they have no eyelids it doesnt show but they will often sit very still on the bottom of a tank for a few minutes or seconds dependant on species.

Answer 3

definite, your fish DO sleep, many times at nighttime at the same time as the lighting fixtures are out (I do wish once you've a tank with a mild that you turn it off so the fish can sleep) ... this manner of 'waft' to the bottom of the tank, or into the plant life and do not flow till the mild comes again on. I have 2 oscars, and at the same time as they were small, I used to imagine the albino tiger replaced into sick because each morning i ought to face up and it should be leaning adverse to the glass on the bottom of the tank, at the same time as the different one (black tiger) should be interior the approach the tank on the bottom and sitting up straighter ... they're both about 10" now, and are quite healthful ... and that i now can tell at the same time as my different fish are 'asleep' through ways they 'swim' (really, they don't look to be swimming at the same time as they're asleep, they basically sit down nevertheless for lengthy sessions) ... so watch your fish and also you'll see that they DO sleep, basically many times no longer at the same time as there are human beings round watching them.

Answer 4

Yes they do. During the dimmer hours fish go "dormant" - become inactive. They're actually sleeping. However, only part of the brain shuts down because the other part needs to keep the fish afloat, which is why they still move.

Answer 5

fish do sleep they have clear eyelids that make them appear to be awake some say this is for defense purposes

Answer 6

They rest rather than actually sleep. They do have a sort of eyelid but it is clear so you will not see it....;

Answer 7

they do sort of float around d bowl its weird.....
by d way, my 2 fishes faerie and marie died bout 2 months after i got them ( this woz wen i woz lyk 10, 3 yrs ago)

Answer 8

they just lye on de bottom of the tank thats how they sleep

Answer 9

I think they sleep...........when they are still, they are sleeping.....but why do you ask for help.......what difference it makes to you whether they sleep or they don't.......in any case they do not disturb anybody.........

Answer 10

they do but with there eyes open because they have no eyelids