Angelfish can identify their owners and distinguish them from other people. These fish have sophisticated visual and auditory systems that enable them to learn and remember what their owners look and sound like, and to develop a positive association or bond with them.
Angelfish are some of the most intelligent tropical freshwater aquarium fish. These social fish can learn to recognize their owners’ faces and voices. Angelfish express this recognition through observable behavioral responses like swimming towards and gazing at their owners.
Angelfish Recognize Their Owners
It might surprise some folks to discover that aquarium fish can recognize their owners. Anyone who has kept fish has observed how these aquatic animals acknowledge the presence of humans who care for them.
This recognition is displayed most noticeably by predator fish and by social fishes. Angelfish fall into both categories and are widely known to show they recognize the presence of their owners.
Scientific research supports the claim that fish can recognize their human carers. For example, a study of archerfish demonstrated conclusively that the fish distinguish between different human faces!
If you have angelfish, they can recognize you as the person who takes care of them, and they can identify you when other people are in the room.
Of course, recognition is a broad term here. We should be cautious about attributing human consciousness and emotions to fishes. Angelfish undeniably become familiar with their owners and even develop what appears like trust and affection for people who attend to their needs.
In this sense, angelfish recognize and form relationships with their owners. Nonetheless, this positive recognition and bonding is primarily a consequence of angelfish associating their owners with food!
How Do Angelfish Recognize Their Owners?
Angelfish learn to distinguish their owners from other people due to their highly-evolved central and peripheral nervous systems, combined with their complex visual and auditory systems.
Visual System
Angelfish have highly-evolved visual systems that allow these aquatic creatures to perform essential functions like:
- navigating a dynamic underwater environment,
- finding food,
- avoiding predators,
- interacting with other fishes.
The visual system of fish equips them with excellent visual acuity. Fishes’ visual systems are composed of complex optical apparatuses (lens, cornea, iris), neural retina, and optic nerves which enable the animals to effectively discern and interpret visual patterns, forms, and minute details in their surroundings.
Predator fish like angelfish have exceptional vision because they need to locate and chase lightning-quick prey.
Auditory System
Angelfish hear and feel sound. Their complex auditory systems enable them to perceive sounds originating inside and outside of their aquarium, while also allowing the fish to balance and orient themselves.
Fish auditory systems differ depending on the family and genus. Most fish, including angelfish, have inner ear organs called otoliths and a network of sensitive nerves (neuromasts) called the lateral line system.
Angelfish detect or feel sound vibrations in the water with their lateral line system and transmit this auditory information via their otoliths. The otoliths convert the vibrations into electrical signals that travel along nerves to the brain so the fish can analyze this auditory information and devise an appropriate response.
With their sophisticated auditory systems, angelfish can perceive their owner’s voice, though it is unclear whether they can distinguish between different human voices.
Cognitive Capacity
Contrary to popular stereotypes, fish are intelligent creatures. Most fish-keepers can attest to fishes’ impressive cognitive capacity.
Angelfish have sophisticated neurological structures that evolved so the animals could interpret and respond to a constant barrage of routine and novel sensory information from their underwater habitats. Indeed, the cognitive abilities of fish are comparable to many higher-order animals.
Angelfish are among the cleverest aquarium fish. For instance, angelfish and other cichilids (Cichlidae family) have enough cognitive prowess to perform transitive inference. Birds and mammals (including humans) use this process of logical reasoning to make sense of social relationships and interactions.
For instance, if an angelfish associates its owner with food, and also links food with satiation and well-being, the fish is clever enough to infer a correlation between its owner and those feelings of satisfaction and wellness.
Fish are so intelligent that a review of the scientific literature on the sensory perception and cognitive functioning of fishes concluded that there might be a case for arguing that fish are sentient!
Fish Can Recognize Each Other
These sophisticated visual, auditory and cognitive abilities enable fish to perceive, learn, identify, and recall the features of their surroundings and other animals, including other fish.
Fishes can not only distinguish between different species in their environment, but they also have the capability of distinguishing between individual fish.
One study found that damselfish could accurately identify the faces of different individual fish using UV light patterns.
The fact that these vertebrates can discern the unique subtleties between individual fish of the same species (who have broadly similar shapes and forms) demonstrates their high level of intelligence! This intelligence is especially notable in angelfish.
How To Encourage Angelfish To Recognize And Bond With You
So, we’ve established that angelfish can recognize and form relationships with their owners. However, this recognition and bonding also depend on how owners interact with and care for their angelfish.
Here are the factors that increase the enthusiasm that your angelfish exhibit when you approach their tank:
- proper fish and tank care
- regular interaction
Proper Fish And Tank Care
Keeping angelfish healthy and happy is essential for encouraging the fish to recognize and take a liking to you.
It is vital to follow the basic care guidelines for these fish. You should provide angelfish with suitable water conditions, tank mates, plant life, and the appropriate amount of nutritious foods. Achieve this, and the fish will reward you with an excited welcoming party when they see you!
Regular Interaction
The second fundamental requirement for gaining the acknowledgment and favor of your angelfish is to interact with the fish regularly. Like any intelligent animal, angelfish require routine interaction with their owners to learn about and develop a memory of them.
Angelfish will recognize you more readily when the fish see and hear you frequently. It is advisable to locate their tank in a room you visit daily.
Talking to your angelfish is another practical tip. Speaking around the tank will acquaint the angelfish with your voice and reinforce their ability to recognize you.
Playing with angelfish (for example by tracing your fingers along the outside of the tank) also contributes to relationship-building with these elegant creatures.
Feeding angelfish by hand is an excellent way to interact closely with your angelfish. The shared joy of feeding time will establish and cement the bond between your angelfish and their you.
Maintaining a calm and kind state of mind and tone of voice when interacting with your angelfish is crucial for encouraging angelfish to display positive recognition towards you.
Conclusion
Angelfish are clever and inquisitive creatures that recognize their owners.
These graceful fish have adequate cognitive capacity and sufficiently-complex sensory organs to perceive, learn, and recall their owner’s facial features and voice, and can distinguish their carers from other humans.