Do fish communicate??

[Tonka Boy]

I had someone ask me a question today that I could not answer...Do fish communicate? How? I thought this would be a good question to bring up. Maybe it can help us understand movements a little better.

Those dang chemists need to explain everything!! LOL

[fishnhooks]

Mr. Special tells me that he has conversations with fish all the time! And you know what, I think I believe him. He he has to talk to someone when no is listening to him. The part that I worry about is he says he can understand what they are saying back to him??

"hooks"

[CrappieJohn]

Absolutely.

The lateral line in a fish is an extremely sensitive organ which can pick up the minutest of vibrations.

Chemo-reseptors are found in the pores located in the facial skin, in and around the mouths, the nostrils and, on some fish, underside of the jaws. These are sensitive to enzymes exuded into the slime on some food fished (prey) and help to steer gamefish to their next meal. It can also steer members of the trout/salmon species to ritual breeding grounds , many, such as the Atlantic Salmon, year after year.

Colors are markers that assist in visual differientition of sex between members of the same species.

There are most likely more avenues of comminication than we are able to imagine, but we just haven't been able to determine a whole lot about what they are.

[Ole1855]

Of course, haven't you ever seen the Techniglow commercials on TV where the two fish argue over who get's the new glowing jig??

I couldn't resist.

Ole

[Riverratpete]

I'm going to go with the instinct thing, fish and wild creatures as a rule live by instinct that has been bread into them after hundreds of years. Very deep subject and can go about a million directions and I don't have enough beer right now. just my 2 cents

[efgh]

I swear I have heard fish communicate, did any other fishermen ever hear a sheephead grunt or a bullhead make that funny noise?

[Ed Carlson]

You bet. When Drum are spawning you can hear the schools of them grunting away. We hear that often on the Red.

Scent and taste are other forms of communication used by fish.

Catfish can also pick up electromagnetic fields. A school of thought believes they may be able to communicate through electric fields and detect the presence of fish and prey in conditions where no sight is feasible.

Sound for sure is a factor on many species.

Sight is another. As fish move in unison in schools to avoid predators or to prey on other species.

Body language...maybe? They see the actions of other fish and interpret it either individually or as a school. I would say this is communication of some form.

How much instinct is a part of much of this, who knows? Security, food, and the need to reproduce are the most powerful impulses they show us openly.

Maybe they wonder if we communicate.

[Valv]

I am positive 100%. I had 2 fish tanks with some crappies, bass, perch, and sunfish. It was amazing watching them react to each other, the "pecking" order, territorial wars (yes even in a 55 gallon tank), etc.

I believe all these actions were dictated by communication with each other and also each species, no other explanation to it.

Now how they communicate, it's out of my range, but I've seen good explanations in posts above this one.

[cyberamish]

They sure seem to when it comes to hitting on my line!! I swear it's a conspiracy!! Gotta go, the voices are calling me again.......yes mother??

Given the above examples (drum, bullhead,etc) and just experience watching schooling behavior I would say they do. If you factor in scent (mating, fear, aggresion) then they most definately do.

[Tonka Boy]

This is great info. Thanks for the replies everyone!!

[so haaad]

They definitely communicate. Ever see suckers spawn in the spring time???

[The Grebe]

Tonka Boy....I've heard a Catfish meow, a Dogfish bark, a Sheephead baaa! I've heard an Eelpout whine, and a Brook Trout gurgle! A Bullhead just lays there and sulks, cause he's a Bullhead!

For all the cell phones and pagers that have been lost down the ice holes and out of the boats, the fish probably have a better communications network then we do!

[upnorth]

Only the sensitive ones

[Tonka Boy]

Quote:

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A Bullhead just lays there and sulks, cause he's a Bullhead!

---

LOL!

[Quickstrike]

I read in an in-fisherman article a few years back that they were doing research on brookies and found evidence that if a fish gets spooked or stressed it can release a substance into the water that warns other fish of danger nearby. I don't know how accuratte this info is but i did read it somewhere.

[The Grebe]

There has been afew humans that have released a substance when they have been scared, or stressed and it warns others nearby that (Phew!) somethings wrong!

Sometimes they give a prelude to it when you are trapped in the check out line, or the elevator (Phew)...then they look at you like you are the one that sent the signal!

[fishingbuddy]

Once during Fish House Logic one of our members stated that fish follow the same trails for generations......right!!!

[Bobb-o]

read an article i forgot where, but they were training walleye that were going to be stocked to avoid northerns by cutting a walleye so that it would release the chemical and then putting the scent from a northern in at the same time to help the fish learn to avoid the pradatory fish.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

I have to weigh in and support the idea fish respond, but do not communicate. The latteral line is a receptor used in searching for prey.

Fish survive on instinct but do not communicate.

My opinion based on past readings and observation.

[FishinChad]

I also remember reading something somewhere about fish releasing a chemical or some sort that can be detected by other fish and alert them of danger. Of course we have all caught fish after fish out of the same hole for a decent period of time so if this does happen it doesnt seem like it has much effect on wheather a fish bites or not, but it may have some effect on some of the fish, I suppose it could be possible that some of the bigger fish learn to relate sensing this chemical to being caught and therefore may be less likely to bite when fish have recently been caught in the same area. I dont know if it has been proved that fish release this chemical but if they do there really isnt much we could do about it other than keep on the move hole hopping, which alot of us do anyways.

[CALVINIST]

Not only do they communicate, but according to PETA, they have feelings too !

[Tonka Boy]

They sure do...they feel real nice at the end of my line!!