Have Fishes Memory.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 June 1910, Page 4

Have Fishes Memory.

Studies as to the mental powera of animals have already been made on several occasions, hut only recently have enquiries been made, as to whether iishes hiave a memory or not. Results ihave shown traces of memory bottih in coral zoophytes and other denizens of the deep. Experiments havo been .made with several fishes, but the most sriking results have heen obtained with the grey perch, which lives chiefly on a small silvery-hued sardiine. Some of these wei'e taken and coloured red, and were into a tank where It'he perch was with several other silver coloured sardines. Of source, the normal ones were at once attacked and eaten, hut it was not till hungry that the perch made a tentative, meal of one of the redcoloured victims; on recognising the sardine flavour, however, lie promptly demolished the remainder. Subsequently the specimens in the tank devoured the sardlines irrespective of colour, thus showing not only traces of memory but also of the power to differentiate colour. Subsequently sardines coloured red and 'blue were placed in the tank together wiith silver ones; the- same scene was repeated, the blue ones not being attacked tiifl the others were eaten, and hunger compelled investigation of the newcomers. After this (introduction the perch without any difficulty. Some spines of the sea nettle (astiniia) were then fastened to the'blue sardines ; these were at one'e avoided by the perch, who promptly got pull 'o'f the way of the newconfers. " This showed traces of memory, as the -result of contact of sea nettle was clearly shown and recognised.