Do fish recognize individual faces?

X-37B · Oct 17, 2019

So here it is. I broke down my 2 year old 25 gal nano. All the rock went into my 120.
I also put my smaller clown in the 120 as he lives in the frogspawn but the larger clown would not go near it
The larger clown would constantly pic on the other.
Also had a 6 line wrasse that I did not want to go into my 120.
I took the clown and wrasse to a lfs and we put them in a 125 display.
The clown has an anenome and the wrasse loves the swimming room.
People walk by and look into the tank all the time and both the wrasse and clown do there thing.
Whenever I aproach the tank the wrasse will come up to the front and tilt his head and look at me. The clown does the same.
The owner says that they only do it when I am at the tank.
So has anyone had a similar experince?
What do you think? Do fish recognize faces?

sfin52 · Oct 17, 2019

Yes. My fish recognize me. They know when im feeding them. They don't act the same way as when another person walks up as when I walk up to the tank.

Rjramos · Oct 17, 2019

Yes, I’m always surprised by the wit of a fish! Incredible!

declanisadog · Oct 17, 2019

Definitely possible. The fox face in my office tank only comes out when I’m by the tank. Anyone else and he hides.

ndrwater · Oct 17, 2019

My fish know me. From well across the room. Nobody else gets the same reaction from them that I do...
But... I am the one that feeds them...

chefjpaul · Oct 17, 2019

ndrwater said:
My fish know me. From well across the room. Nobody else gets the same reaction from them that I do...
But... I am the one that feeds them...

Yup

William Mumford · Oct 17, 2019

My shrimp and goby love my wife more than me. All my fish know me and can tell who is at the tank window. I dont know what they use to recognize but they most definitely do know more than we could imagine.