Look at me when I’m talking to you! Do you ever feel like your fish is trying to communicate with you?

[Peace River]

Look at me when I’m talking to you! Do you ever feel like your fish is trying to communicate with you?

Some species of fish appear to be very expressive with their expressions and body-language. There definitely appears to be interaction between fish and sometimes even with themselves when they see their reflection in the glass. Additionally, while it can be easy to anthropomorphize fish (meaning that we give human characteristic to our fish), it really does seem like our fish are communicating with us. What do you think – do you ever feel like your fish is trying to communicate? Please share your thoughts, examples, and even pictures in the related discussion thread!

Photo by @Reefer Punk


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[Mr Fishface]

I love this! I used to have fish that I would think would communicate with me. Usually begging for food. My current residents are the opposite and I do not think they are wanting to communicate! In fact, this is what I think they feel when they see me. (They tend to dart into rocks and barely look out!) Current residents are a Buan nano sand goby, two clowns and a speringerii damsel.

 

[exnisstech]

My fish always communicate but they have body language limited to "FEED ME" when I sit at the dinner table my CBB does laps around the end of the tank while eyeballing me. The tangs know when I am feeding the other tank and come to the end to let me know they want fed too. The tangs even know where I keep the food I use as treats and they get excited when I reach into the cabinet. Food is the greatest training tool. It works for dogs and fish. Cat's not so much, they are from the entitled species that think they just deserve what they get and shouldn't have to perform for it

 

[Reefer Matt]

My pufferfish Puffy definitely talks to me! Especially when he is hungry. (All the time!) He even talks in my videos!

 

[Oiseaufeu]

My clowns, most of the time, come to greet me and beg for food.

 

[CMMorgan]

We used to have a very large hairy legged red hermit crab. Crabzilla lived alone in a JBJ AIO because well ... He ate all of his friends. We put the tank in our bedroom / home office. My husband was working on his master's degree. He was taking a proctored exam (virtually) one afternoon and Crabzilla wanted attention.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap.... It was loud enough that the proctor stopped the test and demanded that my husband use the camera to show him the room. They were sure he was not alone. He pointed the camera at the tank to show Crabzilla tapping and waving that giant claw. He had to fed him just to shut him up. Crabzilla almost cost him the test.

 

[Ef4life]

Starry blenny sitting In the front corner of the glass, eye literally right on the glass staring out at me screaming “FOOD”

 

[Wamland]

This guy who squirts water at me and follows me around until I give him a clam

 

[Oiseaufeu]

This guy who squirts water at me and follows me around until I give him a clam

Is this a puffer or a box fish? It looks so cubic to me.

 

[Wamland]

Boxfish

 

[Oiseaufeu]

Boxfish

Cool! It’s a very cute fish as well!

 

[steveschuerger]

I voted “I think” but I definitely lean towards “yes”. Like when it’s feeding time, even if I don’t have food ready they start gathering to the front of the tank and act like puppies waiting for their bowls.

 

[Dburr1014]

When I get the camera out to snap some pics of coral, they get in the way everytime.
This is there way of saying, "nothing to see here" or maybe "look at me". IDK
I needed a coarse on how to speak fish.

 

[GrandmaReefer]

I’m fairly certain my spotted goby is judging me every day. The tank is in my office and when I look over, there he is. Watching me.

It’s kinda creepy, actually.

 

[michealprater]

My fish tell me they are hungry every second of the day.

 

[Brian W]

Definitely my yellow tang and my sailfin tang when I get home. They swim to the algae magnet and wait until I feed them.

Same thing with my clownfish in my frag tank. If they see me walk in the fish room they rush to the corner of the tank where I typically feed them at.

 

[CBonito]

 

[Dan_P]

We humans are so easy to train. Our pets have us wrapped around their little fin.

I am currently trained to feed six Green Chromis when they all swim to the left side of the aquarium.

 

[CBonito]

We humans are so easy to train. Our pets have us wrapped around their little fin.

I am currently trained to feed six Green Chromis when they all swim to the left side of the aquarium.

When mine see the little pellet can, they go nuts.

 

[JoJosReef]

Yup, and they are loud mouths. Mrs. Clown has taken to batting my feeding pipette with her tail (quite forcefully actually) when I direct the pipette to any of the other fish. I have to target feed the firefish and the yasha goby or they don't get enough. The brunneus fairy wrasse has taken up swimming at the front glass staring at me and bobbing back and forth--it usually results in me squirting some PacPods into the tank because, well, I'm well-trained.