Re: why does a goldfish react with big attention when you put a mirror infront

Dear Valerie,

First let's think about what the goldfish is responding to when you place the mirror in front of its tank. Is the fish reponding to his reflection or is he responding to the sudden appearance of a large object? You could test this, if you have access to a goldfish, by placing a piece of cardboard the same size as the mirror in front of the fish. Does he ignore it, does he approach it or does he swim away? Then place the mirror in front of him and observe what happens. If the cardboard and the mirror frighten the goldfish equally, he may just be disturbed by a large object suddenly appearing. You could leave the objects in place for a longer time and see if the fish gets used to the cardboard but is still frightened by the mirror.

My guess is that the fish is responding to his own reflection in the mirror. Researchers have shown that Siamese fighting fish (another type of aquarium fish whose official species name is "Betta splendens") make agressive advances when a mirror is placed in front of their tank. The fish are very territorial and think that their reflection is an intruder. Your goldfish may also be exhibiting agression toward an invader or it may be showing fright from the presence of another fish.

I hope these ideas help you think about the goldfish's behavior. If you have goldfish and want to know more about their care and aquarium set- up, check out http:// www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/goldfish.html.

Good luck! Tinsley