Subj : Re: Tropical fish campaig
To   : All
From : Jordi Casamitjana
Date : Sat Dec 20 2003 11:48 am

> Interesting article. Although, personally, I wouldn't go as far as calling
> my fish "sentient"...

How would you define "sentient". Do not you think that fish have
senses and brain?


> One thing that repeatedly comes up in the article is how the fish can
> "see its reflection in the tank's front glass." That appears to be impossible
> to me: the fish look right through the glass from the inside, just as we
> look right through the glass from the outside. Any reflection would be
> very faint and almost invisible because, at an angle of close to 90 degrees,
> glass reflects very little light.
> 

The ability to see areflection from inside a tank depends on two
things: to have eyes with a brain to interpret images, and that there
is more light inside the tank than outside the tank. Both occurrences
are common in the case of fish and aquaria.

If you can see the reflection of the fish in the tank walls, then the
chances are the fish can also see it.


Regarding you 90 degrees explanation, you seem to live in a different
universe than mine (forgive me the sarcastic tone). In my universe, I
only can see my reflection in a mirrow if it is placed at 90 degrees
from my eyesight.

It is different when you a trying to see your own reflection through a
galss that has a light in the other side shining towards you. If you
then move away from the light you will see more reflections in the
glass, but not yours.

In the case of fish, because in most occasions the light inside the
tank is more intense than the one outside, reflectiins inside will
occur. But when you turn the tank lights off, then the reflection
ceases.


> I do feel sorry for the thousands of poor bettas though. Being forced
> to hang motionless in a few cubic inches of water is cruelty in my book.
> (And having kept bettas before, I know that they like to swim around
> a lot if they have the room to do so...)


I agree with you there.
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