Intelligence or instinct?

[mrsclem]

Every year I do a round up of my koi to catch and sell. Every year Big Mamma has been a problem. We have had her for about 12-15 years and she is big! Not so much long as wide! Well, it's that time of year so yesterday with hubbies help we lowered the 5x5x5 pvc cage into the pond to let the fish get used to it. Immediately everyone moved to the back right corner of the pond where all the pump hoses run. All you could see was Big Mamma herding everyone into the corner! This has been her method every year to protect her babies.
Today I went down to put a little food in and after less than a minute several fish came after it. Then the cage started moving! I looked to the back and there is Big Mamma ramming the side of the cage. I could practically hear her saying "Get out- it's a trap!" I just stood there in amazement. Is this instinct or are some koi that smart? She makes the round up a challenge every year and ends up swimming into the catch net so no one else can. She seems to know she isn't going anywhere.
Anybody else have fish that seem a little too smart?

 

[Mmathis]

I think it might be a level of intelligence, at least a learned survival technique. She's trained you well

 

[Lisaebetten]

Poor Big Mama, I'm surprised she like you!!

 

[mrsclem]

She does have me trained well and I don't think she likes me. The last time she was moved was 4 years ago when we moved her to the new bigger pond. I could barely lift the net and I had bruises on my legs from her tail beating me! She is nowhere near my nicest looking fish but her size and attitude have guaranteed her a forever home here.

 

[Tula]

Could you post some pictures or videos? I'd love to see this....plus I need ideas on how to round up my little ones for new homes

 

[Lisaebetten]

I don't know how I will handle giving away my fish babies, prolly cry. I know I will take care of them but what about other people?

 

[pugle1]

My goldfish are challenging enough.... now you've made me scared to try koi!....lol... kidding. Never under-estimate a fish.... they're pretty smart little critters.

Holy Carps! ... lookitthembuggarsgo!

 

[mrsclem]

I don't know how I will handle giving away my fish babies, prolly cry. I know I will take care of them but what about other people?

My goldfish are challenging enough.... now you've made me scared to try koi!....lol... kidding. Never under-estimate a fish.... they're pretty smart little critters.

Holy Carps! ... lookitthembuggarsgo!

Pugle- I actually sold one fish last year because anytime she had the net get near her she would jump and it was usually at me! Got hit in the face several times. I did warn the new owners.
I have learned over the years to do some research on my customers. I have a list of people I sell to every year and they all have large ponds and know what they are doing. I do sell on Craigs list. Several years ago I had someone come and buy 4 koi for the pond they were building. I was shocked to see my fish for sale a year later. They were in a small aquarium and were showing signs of becoming deformed from the small tank. I called and he had decided not to build the pond (RIGHT)! I now request a photo or a lot of info if I sell to someone new. Will post pics as I start roundup.

 

[Tula]

Looking forward to pics!

 

[Dave 54]

gone are the days when we believed fish to have 4 second memory's lol they have been proved to be a right bunch of smart cookies since then with memory an ability to learn then to aviod .
They communicate with each other using two forms of communication both noise and scent
Some scientists are even starting to think that they are in themselves senient

Dave

 

[pugle1]

Well they certainly do have a good memory, that's for sure. They know what that little white container is every time they see it. Too, it doesn't matter where I stand around the pond with that little white container... they go to their favorite spot to get their feed and wait for me to go to that spot. Then the frenzy begins...lol

 

[Fishylove]

I have bottom feeder catfish that someone gave me when they were tiny. As they have gotten bigger they come up and eat with the others at times and I'm tired of feeding them I can put the net in there and as soon as they see it --------> they are out of here! But the the koi and gold fish seem to know I'm not trying to catch them and swim around like normal, sometimes even bumping the net when it's still, like they wanna play
I would just like to get the rest of those cat fish out and maybe get just one albino cat, they are good at keeping the bottom cleaned up. These little buggers i got now are starting to multiply

 

[Dave 54]

Believe it or not they remember that net Fishylove and get harder to catch each time it goes in , we now put the net in the pond over night and when catching the koi the net never acctually touches them as we giude them towards the surface.
It is then that the sock net comes into play scooping them out of the pan net and into their bags for the shows, if we want to use the bowl they are just guided up to it to the point whee they swim into it .
But use any other net in the pond and they wonnt go near it, they are the ones we used to catch them with and that they remember and know of old

Dave