The term myth refers to a traditional belief that comes down the generation in the form of stories and dictations. It is a kind of perception on which someone one believes in. It might be supernatural and unbelievable, but it is the impact that the whole theory leaves on your mind which makes you feel in it. This popular belief about the goldfish having a memory for a certain lapse of time has been the topic of research and fact finding for many.
Innumerable analyses have been conducted on the theory of the goldfish memory myth. There are several conclusions drawn on this particular issue. But every time the theory has attracted a host of speculations and interesting facts that one tends to get confused. Nevertheless, it is interesting to read through the innumerable articles and researches that provide facts about the myth. The goldfish memory myth has been believed by some people whereas few do not believe in it. It is said that the goldfish has a memory which spans for three seconds. The goldfishes are active and happy creatures that are attracted towards food and get to consume them only after the particular time gap.
What research says?
According to the scientific researches, the goldfish tends to associate the concept of feeding itself with time. Scientists state that the goldfish memory myth is true to some degree because the memory span of a goldfish exists for three months. According to one such experiment, the goldfish would come near the lever containing food only after a particular time span. During the operation, it was noticed that it was the food that was attracting the fish. That is how the researchers concluded that the goldfish were associating the food with the time.
The higher mental capability of the goldfish assisted them to learn and remember complex issues and concepts. In this way, they can retain the knowledge for some period. Researchers suggest that due to this capability the goldfish can even recognize their masters and owners. They can recognize the familiar behaviour of a person. Various kinds of experiments have been conducted. The experiments with the tiny little fish have continued even after ages. Later on, experiments related to music and their hearing senses were also tested. The ability to train fish could be of great help to the fish farmers who work on various issues such as breeding the fishes and carrying out various other kinds of experiments. For someone, who has no idea about the range of memory of a goldfish, this is the appropriate article.
Amidst all these experiments and speculations the whole concept of the goldfish having memory still exists. The myth still has the same impact on the people as it used to be some ages ago. The Chinese were the first to domesticate these yellow coloured tiny creatures some thousand years ago. They do respond to the training done on them. Like any wild animal, these fishes to grow well in their natural habitat. A recent study shows that there are almost 126 different kinds of gold fishes breeding over thousands of years.