Just a thought or maybe a stupid question. So I have a breeding pair of clownfish. My nephew posted the babies (We got baby clowns). I moved my breeding pair to a 20 gallon long and obviously broke their breeding cycle. I could put my hand in their new environment and they would not be nasty as they were in my bio cube. They had places that they could hide behind or I should i say were they felt safe. Now this morning I returnede them to the bio cube and the pair started acting as if they never left. Also the females breeding tube has come out. Now I know that this could be because she might be doing her business but has been out for a couple of hours. So it leaves me to ask. Do these clownfish remember their old stomping grounds? The male is back to his original self and does not want my hand in the tank and is more aggressive, hardly any when in the 20 gallon. The rock work is different and they have a new anemone it's a bleached S gig. Same place where my nephew got his but payed 65 dollars for it. It is eating and color starting to come back. It will either be blue or purple hard to tell. Anyways just a thought, these fish obviously have small brains but do they have the capabilities to have long or short term memories?
Do Clownfish or any fish have memories
- Thread starter Wifi
- Start date
In a simple concept, yes. They can be trained and conditioned, but in order for training to be effective, it would make sense that fish 'remember' prior events that are correlated with the related stimulus.
Ron Popeil
Love them clownfish.
my tricinctus pair get very excited when its feeding time, which is usually every time im near the tank. however, even though they are aware i provide them food, and are happy to oblige, the female will also get very defensive if i stand too close for too long. She will bark and display her extended fins in a defensive swim. its as if she remembers i provide her food, but then soon forgets and gets annoyed with my presence.
Squidmotron
New member
It has been experimentally proven that many fish have excellent memories. A fish trained to swim a maze will still remember the route when placed into that maze 10 years later.
There are several urban legends about fish. One is that they have such short-term memories each time they term around they've already forgotten everything. These are false. And often used to justify keeping fish in shoddy conditions. But anyone who's ever kept an aquarium must learn after awhile that fish remember.
There are several urban legends about fish. One is that they have such short-term memories each time they term around they've already forgotten everything. These are false. And often used to justify keeping fish in shoddy conditions. But anyone who's ever kept an aquarium must learn after awhile that fish remember.
Reefing Newbie
New member
I would say they do. My four fish will go to the top of the tank and beg for food if I am looking at them. Sometimes I am able to put the tips of my fingers in the water and my little clowns will give me "kisses". They don't actually bite like my percula does, so I call them "kisses". 
My brother tried the same thing, but they never went to check his finger out even though I was standing there...
My brother tried the same thing, but they never went to check his finger out even though I was standing there...barrymiller
New member
We have to clown maroon took one out on sat. Put it in a different he was not at all happy in it just layed on the bottom and did nothing for 24 hours so we put him back in the big tank and now they are fighting would they not remember each other
Allmost
New member
I watched my wrasse use rocks to break a tiny starfish up and eat its inside !
if it can make tools, it can remember lol
memory like ours, I dont think so. but they do have some RAM which associates different things, for example fingers beside tank = food coming in, and light going away = god's hand coming in to move corals around and so on ....
I do not think if I release my fish in ocean they would remember me and come back to the shore to visit.
if it can make tools, it can remember lol
memory like ours, I dont think so. but they do have some RAM which associates different things, for example fingers beside tank = food coming in, and light going away = god's hand coming in to move corals around and so on ....
I do not think if I release my fish in ocean they would remember me and come back to the shore to visit.
Angel85
New member
Lol. Stranger danger!
But to answer the question they definately have memories. Fish, and other animals for that matter, are more intelligent than most people think and probably more than we could know. The octopus for example, is highly intelligent and even social with its handler in captivity. Its very interesting.
Last edited:
SushiGirl
Premium Member
Well, I'm laid up after back surgery & my bf is feeding them, guess we'll see if they decide to love him! Actually, he tried to feed Puppy Dog his flake in the morning & the fish refused it. I did make an observation the other day when my parents came over...Puppy Dog did not hide from my mom, but treated her like she was me LOL. I told her he must know she's mom!
NatureNerd
New member
If you ever "net" one of your fish, from then on, they will seek cover anytime the net is in the tank. My clowns and goby both fear the net now, when before they ignored it. It has been years since I had to catch the clownfish and they still remember it. They do not act scared when my little net is in the tank. I have never tried to catch them with it.
