Do fish have feelings?

Question

do fish have feelings? My friend said probably not because they don't have a large brain but does anyone know?

Answer 1

Every time I catch one, they feel it when I chop their head off.

Answer 2

I don't think there are any documented studies to support fish having emotional feelings if that's what you mean. Do they have feelings of sense of pain and light, things like that? Yes I'd have to say they do. Fish know when a predator is in the water. I had my Arowana when he was younger, about 5 inches in my 20 gallon tank till my larger 75 got ready. Well there, among other fish, were four platties not much bigger then an inch. One day I woke up before work, and I could only find two of them, and those two wedged themselves in the air bubble decoration and when I put flakes in, they would NOT come out no matter what. They in my sense, were outright terrifed knowing that Arowana was in there. However I don' think they felt it in the same level you or I would. I think it was more like a primitive instinct to sense danger if they were out in the open.

I think fish can sense certain things, espeically water conditions, and other fish in the area. Cichilds are aggressive by nature. They can sense the difference between a male and female. Males will fight over territory, and initiate mating with females. I again feel this is out of instinct, and certian bio chemical, hormones, or other type of elements given off in the water they are naturally equipped to sense. Some other fish show signs of emotions to an extent. Oscars tend to have more personality for a fish then others, and have a good sense of thier owners, but I very much doubt there is any emotional attachement to this.

JV

Answer 3

Of course they have feelings. They've got nerves. The small brain has nothing to do with it. That just means they can't talk, or communicate their pain, but I'm sure a brain big enough to let a fish function underwater is enough to sense pain. Why else would they start thrashing when a hook goes in?

Answer 4

Okay, here we go again... Fish have memories of much longer than a few seconds, that is why many fish swim to the front of the tank when a person walks by, that is an association that people means they will be fed. Association is a form of memory. Do you mean feeings like happy and sad or feelings like something just poked me? They have feelings like something just poked me, not happy and sad. Their cerebrums are not as developed as many other animals, their cerebellums on the other hand control their balance and have become the dominant sections of their brains.

Nosoop4u

Answer 5

That's not something that can be easily answered. It all depends on your own opinion. Personally, I think they have feelings to a certain degree. I know they have fear, otherwise they wouldn't scurry off when frightened. And they also have comfort, because they relax when I wave my fingers in front of the glass.

Answer 6

Yes

Answer 7

they can feel pain, but it not like us, where they formulate a way to escape, they just try to. they cannot "think" and as for fish remebering things, yes they remeber things like where they found food, but most is instinct. as for feelings like sad or mad, it can look like it but "anger" is a response to anoher fish entering their territory, not like hay i dont like that guy over there, lets swim fast at him. immean bacteria whenthey move, theres no thought its a series of chemical reactions, same as fish, basicly they lack a "self" they cannot think to themselves, i see food, lets eat it, they just do. tey dont know why or have the baility to ask themselves a question like why

Answer 8

Yes of course they do, they are living creatures. The reason living things feel pain is to protect them, so they can feel if their body is being damaged. If they couldn't feel anything they would have been extinct millions of years ago.

Answer 9

Every living thing has feelings as long as it has a brain.

Answer 10

Nope, fish do not have feelings. Feelings are associated with higher brain functions of which fish are not capable.

MM

Answer 11

they dont have the same parts of the brain we have for stuff like feeling when they react to being poked alot of ppl think its pain but its just reaction