Cool animal trick

[homo hirsutus]

I couldn't think of an appropriate place to put this, but I have to share it. After a bit of work I've taught my beta fish to jump out of the water for food. A few times she's actually managed to grab the little dried shrimp pellet out of my hand.

I noticed a few weeks ago that she gets very excited when she sees me pick up the food next to her bowl. I figured: if she is smart enough to understand that then there's no reason I can't make her do a trick. A few days later I took a shrimp pellet and held it over the water for about ten minutes. After staring at it for ten minutes it managed to poke it's head above water. Next time it took about five minutes and she jumped completely out of the water.

The next day, I was sitting in a chair near the bowl and thought I heard something. Apparently she didn't totally get the connection because just at the sight of me she started jumping out of the water and throwing herself against the side of the bowl.

I thought of ending it because I didn't want her hurting herself flailing around like that, but I stuck with it and after a few more days it clearly understood that food only falls in the water when it jumps while there is a hand hovering over the water. Now, I hold food above the water, and as soon as she sees my hand she jumps clean out of the water. The really fun part is that I've told a few friends that they can feed her. As soon as they hold the food over the water she jumps up and hits their fingers. Fully grown adults jump back and scream like they think the little 2 gram fish is going to take their finger off.

I have digital camera that can do video, but I need to figure out how to use it. As soon as I do I'll video this and put up a link.

[grumpy]

Even a good still of the fish jumping would be cool.

[Dawn]

That is so cool! Behavioral reinforcement at work and who thought you could do it with a fish? I really have no excuse now not to train my dogs better.