Fish intelligence?

[HARO]

I was doing a pre-winter cleanup at the garden center this morning, picking bits and pieces of floating, mostly dead vegetation out of the display pond, when one of the two koi deposited a length of parrot feather stem in my submerged fingers. They both feed from my hand, so I didn't think it was all that unusual. The fish swam about two feet away, grabbed another stem, and again pressed it right into my hand! Did he actually know what I was doing? Once could be a coincidence, but twice within fifteen seconds?
John

 

[j.w]

I think they are hiding contraband from you in the pond and they want you to be done w/the clean up and move on. They have been receiving shipments of something else that is green from @callingcolleen1 's koi pond. You don't really believe after all these years that it's just moving water, dog food and caterpillar poop that have been keeping her fish going so strong do you

Just kidding @callingcolleen1

 

[HARO]

Good one, j.w! That also explains their good size.... the munchies will do that!
John

 

[morewater]

Your fish are on weed, Haro. They're eating it, though.

It won't stay lit in the pond and the papers clog up the filter.

 

[peter hillman]

If you can get them to bring you a beer let me know.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Maybe John was the one on weed???

John, next time set up a video camera.
We have a cat that figured out how to open the sliding patio door using the handle, but when we told other people about it they just nodded their head with their tongue in cheek thinking we were exaggerating or it was a one off incident until we produced a video.

 

[j.w]

Wow that's one clever cat @Mucky_Waters and I can see that is actually your cat cuz of the architecture of your house around the sliders and he/she actually made the news

 

[callingcolleen1]

OK Calm down that blood pressure !!! Weed is good and the fish said so! he he he I should no cause there is weed everywhere now in Canada!!! Ha Ha HA

 

[peter hillman]

I've heard a LOT of slang terms for mary jane but first time I've heard 'parrot feather'. Good one John.

 

[Dave 54]

"Shame the cat cant shut the door to, now that really would be cool" .
May I suggest that you read "Do Fish Feel Pain" by Professor Victoria Braithwaite ISBN 9780199551200
She and other scientists have found fish are far smarter than we think and are more cognitively aware than we have previously accepted

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

I'm with @j.w @Mucky_Waters and @peter hillman

I know that my box turtles are highly intelligent -- they have me totally trained!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

"Shame the cat cant shut the door to, now that really would be cool" .
Dave

That's exactly what my wife said. lol

 

[Meyer Jordan]

All of the higher levels (vertebrates) of animals possess some level of intelligence.
Dave54, interesting that you brought up the topic of fish feeling pain. There are probably as many papers and articles written espousing this view as are those that deny that fish have the ability. Both sides give fairly convincing scientific arguments.