There is a misguided notion that goldfish have a memory span that doesn’t last any more than 3 seconds that it has almost become a fact supported completely with arguments. Well, here’s what’s factual: goldfish not only have some great memory, but also have social learning and skills and associative learning skills. They can even tell two humans apart and will at times hide from unfamiliar faces!
When they see the same face frequently, they’ll become friends and will usually swim towards you or to the surface mouthing for some food. With time, they will learn to associate their owner with food and will come ‘begging’ whenever the owner approaches their tank.
And yes, their memory span last at least 3 months – not 3 seconds. In fact, it is the human short-term memory that lasts just a few seconds. Additionally, the beautiful fish can distinguish between different sounds and shapes, as well as four different colors: blue, red, green and ultraviolet. As if that isn’t enough, you can train them to do tricks! This is called positive reinforcement whereby after ‘treating’ the goldfish after doing a trick, chances are it is likely to engage in repeat behavior.
No comments:
Post a Comment