Fish memory

How long is it, really?

from JoeUser Forums
I once heard that the average fish has a memory only about 5-7 seconds long. This means that, every 5-7 seconds, the fish forgets the old stuff and develops a new set of memories.
I have to wonder about this, because we have a Betta which we keep in the kitchen, Herman.

Now, I try to feed Herman at the same time every day; when I come over to his bowl, he sees me coming and swims to the surface to eat, as if he knows it's lunchtime. Often, if I was busy or gone and missed a day, I'll wait until the next day at the same time to feed him. When this happens and he sees me coming, he seems to get excited and swims around in his bowl, making his way to the surface to be fed. I nocticed the saeem behavior in predecessor, Midnite (who was, sadly, recently flushed. He was over three years old when he went to the Great Fishbowl in the Sky).
If fish have such short memories, how can Herman remember when it's time to be fed? I also have to wonder about fish in the wild...the oceans, rivers and lakes...how do they remember where to go for food? Or do they? Of course, larger fish might have more memory capacity....I don't know.
I just know that Herman seems to know when he's being fed, and that Midnite was the same way. Maybe Bettas are smarter than the average fish?
9,770 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
i wonder how they determined that memory span. altho my experience and observations solely anectdotal (as are yours), it seems pretty clear to me the longer fish live in the wild, the more difficult they are to trick--even with live bait. by the same token, i've watched wild fish feed (sometimes for hours) and noticed individual fish seemingly indicate a preference for specific prey and specific locations.

at the same time, it's obvious they are very much creatures of instinct (some salmon species return to the streams in which they were spawned after years of roaming the ocean). that's true even when the stream is no longer provides a viable spawning ground.

some species (carp, for example) seem much smarter than others. ive never had betas, but i once hadda weird lil thing that was sold as a 'freshwater moray' (ahahahah) that was too smart for it's own good in that it repeatedly found ways to escape from the tank. the last time proved fatal.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
that was too smart for it's own good in that it repeatedly found ways to escape from the tank. the last time proved fatal.


I had a Betta some years ago that jumped out of his bowl; I didn't notice until I walked past and....squish. It wasn't pretty.
I do know that Bettas are hardy, as once when we were moving, I spilled Midnite's bowl and he went into the grass, where he layed for about five minutes while I searched through the leaves and grass to find him (it was dark). I finally found him, threw him in his bowl and ran inside to fill it with water. He looked a little peaked for a couple days, but finally started swimming and lived another two years or so(we flushed him in December).
He was cool for a fish...purple and blue sides, dark blue front fading to black on his tail (hence his name).

I have no clue how they arrived at that number for the memory span; did they play memory games with the fish? Flash cards? I'm sure it was all very scientific, though, if we can trust that.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I've often wondered about that.  I have a 55 gallon tank, and a few of the fish are quite old.  We have a goldfish named Brutus that we have had for almost 5 years.  He's huge, and seems to hold a grudge.  Our fish get fed in the morning and night (they are big and require a lot of food).  If you forget to feed them in the morning, Brutus will wait until you open the lid and get close to the tank then tail slap the water to get you wet.  He has done that to me many times, and has never done it unless I forgot to feed him.

So, I think they underestimate fish.  I guess humans like to do that with animals, though.  But, we learn all the time that various animals function on a higher level than we once believed- just look at the intelligence of dolphins.

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
So, I think they underestimate fish. I guess humans like to do that with animals, though. But, we learn all the time that various animals function on a higher level than we once believed- just look at the intelligence of dolphins.


Maybe, but I put dolphins in a class by themselves. I mean, they are a lot bigger than goldfish, after all.
Sounds like Brutus is just a grumpy old fish.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
I've wondered about this too. All my Bettas (I've had too many over the years to name them all here), no matter what time of the day I've fed them, come to the surface of the water when I open their class jars.

They also seem to know the difference between the jar opening for a feeding and for a change of water.

Either way, glad to meet another Betta Lover!!!
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yeah, I love Bettas....we've had a few over the years, too. They're very low-maintenance, too. And pretty. Herman is a nice shade of red, but Midnite was beautiful. I like to get them riled so they expand and show their fins.+LOL+