The cerebral cortex and limbic system are absent in fish. Cerebral cortex, which is what permits other animals to cry.
"Since fishes lack the parts of the brain that set us apart from the fishes — the cerebral cortex — I doubt very much that fishes engage in anything like crying," Webster told LiveScience. "And certainly they produce no tears, since their eyes are constantly bathed in a watery medium."
No, fishes can't cry and can't produce tears.
It is often thought that fish may lack the limbic system, but in reality, fishes do have a limbic system, but they lack the biological machinery to produce tears.
The key to the toadfish's talkativeness is its unusual swim bladder. This gas-filled organ is normally used to keep the animal buoyant, but a nearby muscle can make it resonate and so double as an organ of vocalisation.
While we might not be able to read pain on a fish's face, the evidence is increasingly clear that they experience a range of emotions including fear, joy, relaxation and playfulness. We know that fish have receptors to feel pain, experience stress when they are confined and, like us, try to avoid frightening events.
Fish can develop an association between something they like, being fed, with the person who feeds them. The more you interact with your betta fish, the more likely they will be to recognize you. It's normal for betta fish to swim to the front of the tank when an owner comes up to it.
Do fishes fall in love? Well, we can't say that for sure. However, some species of fish are monogamous. The seahorse (often not recognised as a fish due to its unusual characteristics) is known to mate exclusively for a breeding season and in some cases have been shown to mate for life.
As well as getting water through osmosis, saltwater fish need to purposefully drink water in order to get enough into their systems. Where their freshwater counterparts direct all of the water that comes into their mouths out through their gills, saltwater fish direct some into their digestive tract.
According to researchers, fish can get depressed, too, and studies are being done on the aquatic animals in an effort to find treatments for humans suffering from the disorder. You might be wondering what people could possibly have in common with fish, but experts say there's more than you think.
“Fish do feel pain. It's likely different from what humans feel, but it is still a kind of pain.” At the anatomical level, fish have neurons known as nociceptors, which detect potential harm, such as high temperatures, intense pressure, and caustic chemicals.
Yes, fish can hear you talk!
Sounds that are created above water typically do not carry enough force to penetrate the surface tension of the water, so talking on the boat or loud noise may not affect fish as much as your fellow anglers may want you to think. Your voice is unlikely to spook or scare fish away.
no, fish don't react with laughter when they find something is amusing.
In general, grieving is unlikely in fish - unless you have individually bonded fish which might be possible in some species.
First, behavioural responses to sensory stimuli must be distinguished from psychological experiences. Second, the cerebral cortex in humans is fundamental for the awareness of sensory stimuli. Third, fish lack a cerebral cortex or its homologue and hence cannot experience pain or fear.
To answer the original question, yes fish can be heart broken. There is plenty of evidence of this in clownfish. Often when a member of a long term pair dies, the other soon follows (maybe disease, though often not) or is never quite the same afterwards. This has also been seen in cichlids (specifically convicts).
Can your pet fish recognize your face? A new study says, Yes, it probably can. Researchers studying archerfish found the fish can tell a familiar human face from dozens of new faces with surprising accuracy.
Certain fish species can sometimes become aggressive and hard to control. Fish that don't live in the right environment tend to be very aggressive. It's essential that you know why certain species are aggressive before you add them to your aquarium.
There is nothing strange or wrong with mourning the passing of a living being that was important to you, indeed it is a natural reaction. Don't feel the need to hurry up and get over the death of your fish. People need different amounts of time to grieve - there is no set amount of time when grieving should end.
Fish-keepers sometimes see their pets 'glass surfing' – swimming repeatedly up and down the glass of the tank. This could be the aquatic equivalent of the pacing of a captive tiger that's bored from a lack of stimulation. But the fish could also be stressed from an overcrowded or unfamiliar tank.
“Fish are more intelligent than they appear. In many areas, such as memory, their cognitive powers match or exceed those of 'higher' vertebrates including non-human primates.” Fish's long-term memories help them keep track of complex social relationships.
Male kissers will occasionally challenge each other; however, the "kissing" itself is never fatal, but the constant bullying can stress the other fish to death. They often do in fact kill other fish by sucking the mucus off their skin as food, which opens the victim fish up to infections.
According to Balcombe, some fish (though certainly not all) do actually enjoy being touched by humans.
Researchers find that wild cleaner fishes can remember being caught up to 11 months after the fact, and actively try to avoid getting caught again.