Are your fish "Happy"

[Ichthys]

This came out of a discussion started in another thread about anthropomorphization, that is assigning human attributes such as emotion, and feelings to animals. There is a lot of debate as to whether animals are capable of feeling happy or sad, I for one believe that animals like dogs and cats are capable of these feelings, my dog is uber happy when i come home from work. I am not sure i extend this belief to the inhabitants of my reef tank, although many reefers will use terms such as "happy corals" or "my clown is sad after his mate died". I am curious to hear other members weigh in with their opinions. I am pretty sure most of us will agree that corals are incapable of any sort of feeling or emotion, and when we use a sentence such as, "the SPS are much happier with my new LED lighting", we actually mean they are thriving better, not that they are actually happy. But what about fish? inverts? clams? This may sound silly, but I want to hear others opinions.

 

[mercenary-grunt]

I agree there are very few animals that have the ability to "feel". We as humans try to make things simple and give attributes to something for us to use as descriptive words. This helps us as humans to siplify and discribe what we see. Unless you want to be analytical and use a more word answer and less feelings. But we as humans think more in feelings. This is why damas are so popular. This thread can turn religious very easily so we need to tread carefully.

 

[jezzeaepi]

While fish may not experience the emotions such as happiness and sadness in the same way that we do, they are definitely capable of feeling stress. A stressed fish is may not exactly feel "unhappy" or "sad" but the feelings are similar. Similarly, a stress free fish would have feelings close to "happiness" but it is still a bit a different.

 

[returnofsid]

While fish may not experience the emotions such as happiness and sadness in the same way that we do, they are definitely capable of feeling stress. A stressed fish is may not exactly feel "unhappy" or "sad" but the feelings are similar. Similarly, a stress free fish would have feelings close to "happiness" but it is still a bit a different.

"Stress" is physiological, not emotional...

 

[Derbird]

I most likely have a very unpopular and unscientific view on this one

I think it we as humans are very egotistical to think we are the only ones to feel true emotions and all other life is just reatcing to envromental stimulus. I know for a fact my dog has real emotion. The joy she has we we come home is very real. One the other side we recently lost my parents dog. Mine is going through actual greaf. She wailed and cryed for two days strait. She did feel the loss and reacted just like the humas did.

It is easy for me to see this in my aquatic animals too. My bristle tooth tang has no reason to show "happiness" for anything but clean water and food. But put a nice shiny white frag plug in the tank and he will do a high speed lap around the tank and then grab it and toss it up in the water and try to catch it. He looks "happy" and seems to be enjoying himself. Although until I learned this about him I was not to happy to have him grab my new coral. Now new coral in the tank means new white frag plug for tang :doh:

I think it is just not just possible to messure emotion scientificly so we assume that we are the only ones to have them. Other forms of life have emotions, some are just different then ours.

This is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone. This is a topic that can get ugly so I hope no one takes this the wrong way.

 

[TJL]

Great Thread! I too feel that many of the animals we love and take care of as 'Pets' do have significant and unique personalities including some of the Fish species in our Reeftanks. Tangs, large Angelfish, Triggerfish to name a few definitely have their own individual personalites that can easily be manifested as then interpreted as emotions. As when they Play, Greet us or Beg for food similar to that of our Dogs, Cats or Birds (especially Parots). My little Naso, she? does not like it when the Powder Blue and Blochi battle and in observation of her she seems rather bothered by it all. She usually breaks them up by doing what I'd describe as 'Flirtatious Distractions' playfully vibrating on and in front of either one to diffuse the tensions. Many Fish IMHO really do get 'Bored' with status quo and seem to noticably appreciate a change up in their surroundings or daily routine, this seems to me to be an emotional response. Anyhow good fun and interesting topic for a thread.

Cheers, Todd

 

[IPisces]

Happyness is a state of mind. Fish have minds, do they not?.....anyway, we all know fish and inverts can be stressed, but with fish are these other actions really emotions or just instinct. I dont know...I think fish must be able to feel emotions in their own way. They are playful at times, they must feel happiness of some kind.
Now inverts I dont think are capable of emotions, with the exception of seahorses because we all know they show emotions. Inverts can be stressed but I think as long as their evironment is stable and not causing them stress they do what instinct dictates. Dont think that qualifies as happiness.
OH!
Havent you ever heard the expression "HAPPY AS A CLAM"

 

[ak_reefer]

I don't think there is anyway to prove it but I think fish have some degree of emotion. Think about when a fish is defending its territory they will change colors, flare, show aggressive behavior towards what is in their space like Lorrie said it may be instinct or natural behavior but it is a sign of emotion. I am a avid fly fisherman and I have read many articles on how fish feel pain when they are hooked. Then that brings up the question is pain a feeling or emotion? Depends on what kind of pain? If fish are able to show signs of pain then how is it not feasible for them to show emotions. In my mind I like to think they do show emotions and I believe my fish do just like a dog or cat. So put me in the yes group!

 

[jezzeaepi]

"Stress" is physiological, not emotional...

Yes but physiology and emotion are related. A stressed fish behaves completely differently from a non stressed fish, and it is my opinion that the emotional states of the two fish are different as well. While a stressed fish will hide, swim erratically, and even attack their tank mates, a non stressed fish will leave their tank mates alone, and calmly swim in the open. I certainly believe that there is some emotion at play in this situation.