Certain fish can recognize individual human faces and interact specifically with their caretakers.

Research published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2016 demonstrated that archerfish can distinguish a familiar human face from dozens of new ones with up to 86% accuracy. This discovery challenged the belief that facial recognition required a complex neocortex, a brain structure fish lack. Instead, these animals use sophisticated pattern recognition to identify the people who interact with them regularly.In the wild, groupers have been observed engaging in interspecific cooperative hunting with moray eels, a behavior that requires advanced cognitive processing and memory. This social intelligence translates well to captivity, where groupers often earn the nickname 'Labradors of the sea' for their puppy-like interactions with divers. They can remember specific individuals over long periods, suggesting a robust long-term memory system.Cichlids also exhibit high levels of intelligence, including the ability to use tools and engage in complex social hierarchies. Studies by evolutionary biologists have shown that cichlids can track social relationships and remember past winners of fights to determine their own status. This capacity for social memory allows them to recognize their human caretakers as consistent, non-threatening figures in their environment.Public aquarium records often document 'personality' in large fish like the Giant Grouper or Oscar cichlids. These fish may exhibit signs of depression or lethargy when a primary caretaker is absent for an extended time. This evidence suggests that fish possess a level of consciousness and emotional complexity that far exceeds traditional scientific assumptions.