Please share your “smart fish” stories!!!

[Peace River]

Please share your “smart fish” stories!!!

In this week’s Question of the Day (QOTD) posts we have been talking about brain corals. Let’s take a minute and talk about brainiac fish! You know, that really smart fish that you may wonder if it could beat you in chess?!?! Please share your “smart fish” stories!!!

 

[Zach B]

I once kept a lionfish that would go crazy anytime I went near my kitchen or fridge. He/she knew it was about to be fed. Also when hungry, if you were near the tank it would spit water at you. Maybe not the smartest but still fun I still miss my puffers as well, they had the most personality

 

[Kalinina]

I once kept a lionfish that would go crazy anytime I went near my kitchen or fridge. He/she knew it was about to be fed.

My fish do that as well! They know I feed nori in the AM and frozen after work and hang out in those areas around those times.

They also recognize when I have a tank sitter. It takes them a few days to come out when someone else feeds them.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

My 2 spawning Mandarins only lay eggs and fertilize when my lights start to ramp down. The other fish in the tank at that time are finding their normal resting places. The small clear spherical eggs are safer because of Mom and Dad’s timely decision. I’m sure it’s more “instinct” than smart. Although instinct is usually “smart”. Mom and Dad now need to step up their game and figure out how to keep these floating eggs from the “wicked overflow box”

 

[Jesterrace]

Had a Leopard Wrasse that could pick the trajectory of food bits being blasted by my Powerhead. Watched him track a food bit that went into the powerhead and when it came spiraling out he jumped into the current and twisted himself around perfectly to catch it. Also watched the same guy turn sideways to slide between my return and the surface to snag a bit of food that was otherwise inaccessible at the time. Very smart fish when it came to food. He would also hang out and explore right around my hand when I was doing maintenance in and around the rockwork (while all my other fish were hiding).

 

[c_healy]

I had a one spot fox face that would spit water at you and lay on its side at the top for you to scratch its side.

 

[Reef and Dive]

This guy always waits for me in front of the tank when I arrive from my work shifts. Interacts with me all the time and eats frim my hand. He even understants when I do the hand signal of “no more mysis for now” son, or you’ll get fat like me…

His name is Pinochio.

this is a video of what he does and I love it…

Instagram reel

 

[lion king]

Another lionfish story, yeah lions are smart. I had a fu manchu lion that I rescued from starving at the lfs. She was temporarily being kept in a BC29, there was a damsel that she started to stalk. I watched the fu try and catch this damsel for about 3 days. One morning before the lights come on I go into my office. The fu is hanging out at a crevice in the rocks, I then watched the damsel come out from the crevice. The fu immediately pounced, and the damsel was no more. You see the fu staked the damsel, found out they where they sleep, set up and just waited for them to rise for the day. Now that's strategy.