Many people think that fish have very short memories, but recent research shows that this is not true.
In the study, researchers from MacEwan University in Canada trained a kind of fish called African cichlids (丽鱼) to go to a certain area of their tank (缸) to get food. They took the fish out and then waited for 12 days before putting them back in the tank again. They found that after such a long break the fish still went to the same place where they first got food.
In fact, scientists had been thinking for a long time that African cichlids might have a good memory. But there was no clear evidence (证据) until the latest findings.
Just as a good memory can make our lives easier. It also plays an important part when the fish are trying to survive in the wild. "If fish are able to remember that a certain area contains (容纳) safe food, they will be able to go back to that area without putting their lives in danger," lead researcher Trevor Hamilton told Live Science.
So next time you are watching your pet fish from outside the tank, perhaps you should feel closer to them—they may remember who you are.