Goldfish memory misconception challenged

A long-held belief that goldfish have only a few seconds of memory has been challenged by recent research, which suggests they are capable of more complex behaviors than previously thought.

Goldfish driving a wheeled aquarium

In 2022, researchers demonstrated that goldfish could drive a wheeled aquarium, as reported in a study published in Behavioural Brain Research. A team from Ben-Gourion University in the Negev trained six goldfish to pilot a small vehicle to reach a target and receive a reward.

Challenging the perception of goldfish intelligence

A common prejudice suggests that goldfish, with their small brains, are incapable of navigating outside of water. However, the study shows that they can maintain their course toward a target even in an unfamiliar terrestrial environment.

How the wheeled aquarium works

The idea of a fish driving a vehicle may seem unusual, but the system is based on simple technology. Researchers placed an aquarium on a motorized platform with a camera that tracks the fish’s movements, allowing a computer to guide the wheels based on the fish’s position and direction.

Training goldfish to navigate the device

To test the system, scientists trained six goldfish, each named after a character from Jane Austen. Each fish participated in a dozen sessions of about thirty minutes, aiming to reach a pink panel to get a food reward. Over time, their success rate and route efficiency improved significantly.

Goldfish learning independently

The goldfish learned to operate the device without observing their peers, demonstrating individual learning capabilities and further challenging the notion of their limited intelligence.