Some people consider goldfish (or goldfish) to have a poor memory and are unable to store memories. In fact, there is a very common saying that these creatures only have a memory of three seconds. However, this is nothing more than a myth that, despite its lack of scientific support, has managed to spread throughout the world.
Fish memory
In reality, goldfish ( Carassius auratu s) have much longer memories, which can span weeks, months and even years, as Culum Brown, a fish expert at Macquarie University, says. And despite what most people believe, they are actually very intelligent animals.
Brown has studied the intelligence of fish (including goldfish) for more than 25 years. Therefore, he is convinced that this misconception stems from misinformation and ignorance about the intelligence of fish. Also, pet owners often keep their fish in boring little tanks, so they don’t often test their intelligence (and for this reason they don’t know it).
In fact, as the researcher assures, goldfish have such impressive memories that they are frequently used as a model to study memory and learning in fish. So much so that there are numerous studies on goldfish, which show their excellent memory.
They can also solve problems
Most of these studies make use of food. For example, if goldfish feed on only one side of their tank, they will quickly learn that they must stay on that side of the tank when they go to receive their food.
Goldfish are also good problem solvers and have been taught to escape nets and navigate mazes, as Brown points out. In addition, they can remember how to do these tasks weeks and even months later. Other research suggests that goldfish can recognize and remember other fish, even after a long period of separation.
How much are they able to remember?
According to the scientist, it is very difficult to specify an exact time, since it is more likely that they remember some events more clearly than others. For example, they are more likely to remember frightening events than any everyday activity. However, whether goldfish memories last for days, weeks, or even months, what is fully proven is that they last much longer than three seconds.
