Fish remember things for up to five months
Fish are not as forgetful as was previously thought and can remember things for up to five months, scientists claim.
Academics in Israel say their research proves the commonly held belief that fish have a three second memory, is a myth.
The scientists from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, trained a group of fish to respond to a sound, coming to a set location for food whenever they heard it.
It was discovered the fish could remember what to do for periods of between four and five months ... so your goldfish should have no problem recognizing the castle or diver in its bowl.
"The research lays to rest the opinion that fish have a short memory span of only three seconds and demonstrates that fish actually have a memory span that lasts 4 to 5 months," said a spokesman for the project.
"Based on this, researchers are developing sophisticated, new technologies to raise fish in coastal areas which rely on training them to respond to audio signals."
Currently, raising fish in the sea is done using cages placed in sheltered coastal areas but the method is controversial because of the environmental pollution that arises from the release of nitrogen by the fish.
It is hoped the research could lead to a new farming technique which would call the fish back to be caught when they reach market size.
Researcher Boaz Zion said: "The method has many advantages. The fish grow in their natural environment without the use of cages and without environmental pollution.
"Feeding is more economical and is based mainly on food found naturally in the living area of the fish."
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