Do fish have emotions?

Answer 1

how can one say that they are mindless....fishes such as betta are excellent in displaying emotions...they et excited when the owner visits them ...they flare ...they are sometimes depressed when lonely...

Answer 2

No, fish don't have emotions like people do. They do or can have a very complex set of reactions to situations based on learning and genetically encoded behavior that can appear to be emotions, but it's not. Those that feel fish have complex emotions like humans are misreading those signals. This is called anthropomorphizing, or giving human characteristics to a non human and many, many people do it with pets.

MM

Answer 3

MM has got the right idea. An oscar starts shaking uncontollably because they see us. The human in us wants us to believe he's happy to see us. The reality is that the food dispenser has arrived and his capabilities of learned behaviour makes him anticipate the upcoming meal - it has nothing to do with emotion. An angel fishes mate dies, and a human assumes he's sad because of this, but it's not moping, it just can't interact with its mate anymore, which is the main part of their social behaviour.

The one thing fish do have in common with us is that they do get stressed, and just like us it affects them physically, lowering their immune system, causes them to be inactive and look 'depressed' and increasing the chances of illness. Again, nothing to do with emotion and all physical and instinctive.

Answer 4

Hungry and scared aren't emotions. Fish only make correlations between objects, they don't have emotions. When being fed, they aren't happy, they are surviving, when separated from other tankmates, they aren't sad or lonely, they get stressed because they don't have a group to protect them. No emotions, just instincts.

Nosoop4u

Answer 5

well in a sense they do. they react to changes in their environment. when the are sick they show different behavior indicating some sort of feelings. when they are healthy they also show certain behaviors. so i guess you can equate that as being happy or sad. when they feel threatened they will also show certain behaviors. when thinking of emotion in the same sense as people feel emotion then no. they do act differently under different circumstances so depending on what you want to define as emotion you can go either way. Basically what MM said is the case its more or less the human that personifies a fish to make a false connection to the animals behavior as though it had human characteristics.

Answer 6

Depends on wht your definition of emotions is. Angelfish bully other fish, gouramis chase each other, fish mate and all that stuff.

Answer 7

I would say they do because my 2 Oscars and my other fish get real happy when its feeding time also i have bought a fish that when i put him in the tank he went ta a corner and stayed there he wouldn't hardly eat and finely died-- sad little fish and as with all Gods creatures great and small i believe that fish do have emotions.

Answer 8

They get mad and fight, so that's an emotion, do they love you, doubt it. I think they can be happy fish, but know they can stress and, so i guess they do , in a way, have emotions.

Answer 9

Mythbusters proved they can remember things like where to find the food, the route there, etc. But LIMITED hardly completely encompasses their mental abilities, they're actually retarded by our other pets' standards. Emotions are a higher brain function of which I believe them quite incapable.

Answer 10

Yes. The more you watch them, the more you can interact with their actions. They come up to the glass of the aquarium and look at you and they want to be fed and they want to be happy. Your fish depends on you and loves you.

Answer 11

Yes All Living Things Think Just Like People, Some People Don't Believe That And Neglect Animals Those People Are Terrible I Hate Them!