Is there such a thing as fish toys?
- Thread starter mozart
- Start date
Mine do that as well. But they are not playing. They are simply relocating to another area of the tank.
We like to ascribe human emotions to our fish but really they are just trying to survive in their world.
We like to ascribe human emotions to our fish but really they are just trying to survive in their world.
I don't completely agree with you. Danios and other fish obviously play more than they survive. My platies seem to be very preoccupied with food, and who knows what my cories are thinking about, since they will bypass many a juicy meal. Every creatures requirements for survival are different. My danios definately like to play!
When I had my little banana plant in w/ my keyholes they used to carry it around w/them and toss it back and forth like a ball. Maybe not really a toy to them, but it was cute. 
People used to think that animals were incapable of any emotions... that dolphins, elephants, apes and parrots merely copy-cated and didn't have any imagination or thought of their own... that pigs were stupid animals only good for their pork... that fish didn't feel pain.... all which have been disproven.
We're learning more about our world and the creatures in it everyday.
Every species has a sense of 'play'. Lions, wolves, elephants, mice, squirrels, birds.... whether this play is to practice survival techniques or simply to have something interesting and stimulating to do, many creatures have a sense of frolick. Is it such a far stretch to say that some species of fish may have similar traits? We know that fish can recognize humans as food-givers, even to the point of knowing one person from another or knowing family members from strangers. Some fish can even exhibit a level of 'trust' and allow themselves to be handled by some people and not by others.
Until more research is done on the matter to disprove it, I think fish... at least some species of fish... can exhibit play and enjoy toys in their tank. Things to tug on, flash against, chase and bob around the tank 'just because'. And I don't think it's silly to try creating fish toys just to see if this theory would hold water.
We're learning more about our world and the creatures in it everyday.
Every species has a sense of 'play'. Lions, wolves, elephants, mice, squirrels, birds.... whether this play is to practice survival techniques or simply to have something interesting and stimulating to do, many creatures have a sense of frolick. Is it such a far stretch to say that some species of fish may have similar traits? We know that fish can recognize humans as food-givers, even to the point of knowing one person from another or knowing family members from strangers. Some fish can even exhibit a level of 'trust' and allow themselves to be handled by some people and not by others.
Until more research is done on the matter to disprove it, I think fish... at least some species of fish... can exhibit play and enjoy toys in their tank. Things to tug on, flash against, chase and bob around the tank 'just because'. And I don't think it's silly to try creating fish toys just to see if this theory would hold water.
THEJRC
Third String Messiah?
I had a pair of oscars that used to pull at anything that went into the tank, half of this was that they wanted to eat it but they also seemed to enjoy bouncing things back and forth and around the tank (thermometer, anything). Eventually I tied a knot in a peice of string and dangled it in there for them to play tether ball with. Quite hilarious but they got bored with it after a few weeks.
