If Eating Fish Is Good For Your Brain – Why Are Fish So Dumb?

In one of my first jobs I made a bad mistake that reflected badly on the department. My boss hauled me in for a dressing down during which he referred to me as a ‘goldfish’.
Unfortunately this made me smirk and so he – not unreasonably – got even angrier.
Anyway we all survived to smirk another day.
But it always left me very aware of any reference to ‘Goldenfish’.

It turns out goldfish are much smarter than their reputation suggests. They’re often credited with a 3 second memory, but research shows they have solid memory, learning skills, and even problem-solving abilities – amazing!
Moreover research over the last two decades has overturned the old belief that fish are simple or mindless. Many fish species show clear, scientifically documented signs of intelligence.
So that’s a surprise!

I read Ed West recently talking about intelligence in the animal kingdom. An amusing piece – here he refers to Octopuses:
“Although octopuses have no cerebrum,’ the part of the brain responsible for memory and consciousness, Leaf writes that ‘they have large brains and are good at solving problems.'
For instance, if you leave them overnight in covered tanks in a darkened lab they will take the lids off their tanks, invade other tanks with fish in them, and eat them. Then they will return to their tanks in the early hours of the morning, affix the lids back on, and pretend that they had never left.’ Sneaky buggers.”

But here we come to the interesting bit (bear with) why did man’s brain development separate from the Apes?

Did Seafood Spark Human Intelligence?
One compelling theory suggests our evolutionary leap in intelligence may have started not in the forests, but along the coast.
Unlike our primate cousins who stuck with fruit and swinging through the trees, early humans who settled near water had access to seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a key nutrient for brain development.

What is certain is that human brain volume has been slowly shrinking over the past several thousand years. At the same time, many modern diets have moved away from nutrient-dense marine foods rich in DHA, iodine, and trace minerals—nutrients essential for neural development and maintenance.

We’re also just not very good at eating seafood nowadays. Are fishfingers ‘seafood’?
During the Victorian era seafood played a very different cultural and economic role. Far from being a luxury, it was a staple for the working classes. Oysters were as common and inexpensive as bread; street vendors sold them by the dozen, and they were routinely added to pies, stews, and pub meals.
Even those with modest incomes had regular access to nutrient-rich seafood, something surprisingly rare in many households today.
Whether or not the sea made us smart, one thing remains clear: what we consume—mentally and physically—continues to shape what we become.