Has anyone ever noticed how intelligent flowerhorns are??
Or has anyone done a study on them?

Reason why Im bringing up this subject is that I've noticed that
MY flowerhorns are soooo smart!!! I have other tropical AND saltwater
fish as well.. but NON of them inter-act with me the way my flowerhorns
do...

They follow my finger movements, and they allow me to pet them..and
petting them is not just reaching my hand in the tank and touching them, they
would swim back for more and would stay in the same spot so that I CAN touch them!!
And whenever I walk up to the fish tank, they swim right up to me and
'Wag their tail'.. Just like a dog would do.. Sorta like they are happy
to see me!!!

Just 'Food for thoughts'.. :-)

i agree with you.... first time i ever saw a flowerhorn was at vietnamese restaurnt...the owner has his hang in the tank...petting the fish.. and i was like..holy shit....what kind of fish is that????that is the coolest thing i ever saw and that what got me into the flowerhorn hobby...lol

Yah,
First time I saw Flowerhorn was when I was in China, at an office.. It was a Huge fish
with huge kok and Nice flowerline resembling Chinese characters..
I went up to the fish tank, and the fish looked soooo different and nice,
and it was soo smart, it followed me and that was when I realized I wanted
one!! But never seen it in US..

I don't know about their smarts but what I liked about this fish was its character, the way it handled it self. I used to own, raise and breed game chickens. I used to like the way the roosters carried them selves with a cocky attitude and this is what I saw in FHs. That to me was impressive, a fish that could hold its own and have a regal attitude about it. I was sold on its vigor and tenacity that was what I was looking on a pet.

Yes.. you're right.. Flowerhorns DO have character!!! That's why they are so different from
any other 'Fish' I have..
As for intelligence...who knows how their brain functions.. we all know that fish don't retain much information in their
brains (they'll do something, and forget, and do it again)...However, maybe flowerhorns have evolved to having 'Some' brain cells???

Nice thread brother and I do agree with you that's why I called flowerhorn a "fresh water dolphin"..........

best regards,
jonz88

Yeah, I also agree that FHs are really smart and friendly even though some are aggressive and would bite your finger if you show it to the fish.

Jonz.... My thinking EXACTLY!!!

Dolphins are sooo smart and we've even used them in wars and stuff..

Of course, Im not saying flowerhorns have the intelligence of dolphins, but for an
aquarium pet fish.. they are tops on the intelligence list!! :)

I would say as smart as a Trimac... almost as smart as a Midas... & not as smart as a Dovi (Dowi).