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How can you tell if your Catfish (or Plecostomus) has affection for you? Thanks for answering in advance.

How can you tell if your Catfish (or Plecostomus) has affection for you? Thanks for answering in advance.

Hi, I would say 'affection' is only a human trait so catfish probably can't feel that

I know my hoplos LOOK like they're glad to see me but reality says the my movement/shape/signals indicates FOOD is coming

No one will ever know what catfish feel but just like it seems my feline cats seem overjoyed with my presence, no one can ever know until humans find a way to speak 'cat' (or fish). I prefer to think that critters are thinking/feeling beings but that's just me, science seems to indicate some species are quite incapable of feelings like humans.

Interesting to think about though.

I agree with LNB- I'm pretty sure my plecs don't show affection FOR me, but the bristlenose pair get really excited when I stick my hands in the tank, because they know they're going to get cucumber or courgette, and they'll grab at me and suck my fingers thinking that's food. My gibbiceps (in a different tank) was a bit slower to catch on, but he/she now knows that when the tank light goes off and the room light goes on, then food is on its way, and he/she will grab at me in the same way (this fish is a bit more graceful than the bristlenose though, which literally thrash around the bottom trying to bump into the food- I suspect their eyesight is pretty awful).

The only fish that eat from my fingers is the that I got from Martin S - if I hold a nibble of freeze dried Tubifex, they come and grab it from my fingers - only when it's dark of course - only time I see them with the lights on are if I manage to spot the hiding place in the plants, usually in the far corner of the tank...

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Mats

Mats' post reminded me- of my non-plecs, my 4 Callichthys callichthys and 9 Megalechis thoracta will eat frozen bloodworm (or other frozen food) from my hand (with the lights on)- the Megalechis (hoplos) are quite gentle, but the Callichthys are totally manic, and even try and wedge themselves against my fingers so they can just gobble food and not have to worry about swimming at the same time.

I guess that Killer trusts me and knows that I am there for him. What does him winking at me mean? Anything? I know Killer knows I enjoy feeding him and watching him eat.

I don't know about catfish affection, but I used to have a which 'hated' me, judging by the number of times I got bitten by it.

That's something! A Catfish biting you. Interesting. Must have been a mean critter... I guess.

KillerThePlecostomus wrote:That's something! A Catfish biting you. Interesting. Must have been a mean critter... I guess.

Well, if you read the Cat-eLog entry that Chrysichthys linked to, then you'd see that they [will try to] eat anything.

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Mats

I have come to realize that I am just a food delivery source to my fish.

All perceived affection from any fish is merely anthropomorphism on our part.