12/18/08

#77: Lumpfish goes to school


As Justin has mentioned in previous blogs, we are all getting the awesome opportunity to work with a wide variety of animals around the aquarium. I am training a juvenile lumpfish that I have named Blondie.

I know, I know "training a fish?!" you say. But you would be surprised how much a fish can learn and in a pretty short period of time. Right now, I am training her how to go to her target (a specific object that I have deemed "hers") which is a red spoon. I am also training her how to push a lightweight ball around the tank and even do spins!


Here are two clips of a "spin" training session. In the first one, you can see it takes a few trials to get her to spin. I tap the water to give her direction.



In the second clip, it only takes two trials with two distinct taps, one at almost halfway around and the other almost at the endpoint. She spins super without any taps on the water at the end!



Now that's pretty cool; what should I train next?

Stay tuned for more fish training...


8 comments:

  1. That looks like one smart (and cute!) fish.

    Can it be trained to fetch?

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  2. Watching those little lumpfish spin around makes them look even cuter than they already are.

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  3. That's pretty cool Lindsay. I'm doing a similar thing with my angelfish. I'm going to try the spins next.

    I saw a crazy video once where a goldfish "retrieved" a floating object from the other side of the tank. You could try that.

    Continue blogging your progress!

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  4. As a fish trainer myself, and the owner of the Guinness World Record for the fish with the most tricks, I can certainly attest to the trainability of fish. Fetch, slalom, limbo and soccer are my favorite fish tricks. Check it out at http://www.fish-school.com.

    --Dean

    Dr. Dean Pomerleau
    Founder & Chief Fish Trainer
    Fish School, Inc.

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  5. Is that Pearl Jam in the background?

    Awesome.

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  6. Now that is just way too awesome!! Well done!!!!

    Do you think you could come train my husband to close the kitchen cabinet doors???

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  7. Tammi wrote:

    > Do you think you could come train
    > my husband to close the kitchen
    > cabinet doors???

    Tammi - perhaps you need this book!:

    http://blog.fish-school.com/2008/02/even-husbands-can-be-trained.html

    --Dean

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  8. OMG THAT MADE MY DAY!!!! i lovee your fish so much and your voice it is sooooooo amazing i love you soooooooooooo much please tech me how to train my fish!!!!! ... and i just love the way you talk to that little bundle of joy! :) ;) :* <3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

    - helga

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