Do fish have brains?

United States
February 25, 2009 9:45pm CST
My four year old asked me that this evening.....so whats the answer? Lol.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@marepo (113)
• Italy
28 Feb 09
Yes the fishes have brain and intelligence,I am convinced of this and I also have impression that they have a character ,observing mine in the same race I find differences of behavior
@eichs1 (1934)
• Philippines
27 Feb 09
Yes they have. Their brain is also located in their heads just like other animals. If you main intelligence, fish have that too. If you will observe the predator fishes, they learned how to stalk their preys. For self-preservation, fishes have also mastered how they can use their physical attributes to make them safe. For example, pufferfish expand their bodies and extend their thorns (guys, I found out that myLot doesn't accept a synonym for thorn which is much appropriate to describe the defense mechanisms of puffers) to avoid being eaten by bigger carnivorous fish. There maybe lots of situations that fish don't seem to be using their brains. But don't be surprised, even us humans sometimes forget that we have heads.
@Darkwing (21583)
26 Feb 09
Yes, fish do have brains, but obviously, much smaller than the human brain. It's also said that fish are more intelligent than dogs, although I don't see the logic in that. Another discovery is that fish don't feel pain the way we do because that part of the brain which submits the feeling of pain, is missing from their brain. Brightest Blessings.
• United States
27 Feb 09
Fish have brains. The longer that they can live can make a difference as to how intelligent that that they can be. A fish (or any animal) that only has a short life span can live mostly on instinct whereas a longer lived animal needs to remember where it's food is and the enemies are. You can teach fish (or at least the longer lived ones) tricks (not to fetch your paper or anything like that). I have taught fish to swim through hoops and to retrieve things. It takes patience but it can be done. Also ask fishermen abut how smart some of the fish that they could not catch were.
• Australia
26 Feb 09
Umm all living things have an inteeligence (brain) of one form or another. So yes, fish have brains. I remember for years the story going around that goldfish only have a memory span of four seconds, which is why they never get bored in small fish bowls. I think that was eventually proven wrong though, as goldfish developed learned patterns, which = memory.
@monsterj1 (188)
26 Feb 09
Yes they do and gold fish have 2 ssecond memories that why they swim around in circles, its like going somewhere new every 2 seconds lol