Do goldfish really have a short memory?
The 'Mythbusters' column examines the cliché about goldfish having a three-second memory. Experiments have shown that goldfish remember for days, weeks, and even months, including a 2008 Australian high school experiment and academic studies. The myth may have been created to justify keeping fish in small bowls.
The 'Mythbusters' column examines the widespread cliché that goldfish have a three-second memory. The article presents scientific evidence contradicting the myth: a 2008 experiment by 15-year-old Australian high school student Rory Stokes, in which goldfish learned within three weeks to reach a red Lego cube in less than five seconds, and remembered this even after a six-day break. A 2003 study from the University of Plymouth showed that fish learned to push a lever at a specific time of day. A 2022 study from Ben-Gurion University proved that goldfish are capable of navigating a small robotic car. The article speculates that the myth was created to justify keeping fish in small bowls, and today some European countries ban this on animal welfare grounds.