Can Betta Fish Hear?

It is known to all that fishes do have ears.

Yes! You heard it right.

A vibrant fish like Betta is not indifferent to that at all! In fact, betta is considered one of the smartest fishes. So, can betta fish hear?

Betta fish can hear. They have internal ears that enable them to perceive the change of frequency in the water. Through the frequency change, bettas can hear voices and tones.

Now perceiving this knowledge, we all stand to a point where we have some concern about this.

Does a betta fish realize your presence by hearing your tone? Does it recognize you by your voice? Is it important for a fish to have hearing ability? Does the hearing power of a betta control its actions, ability, smartness, or mood?

Let’s dive into the answers then.

Can A Betta Fish Hear When You Talk To Them?

A betta fish can hear when you talk to them through their internal ears. The voice frequency travels through the water and hits betta’s ears. Thus, they are able to hear sounds.  

Their invisible internal ear enables them to identify the changes of frequency in water and air.

All though, sounds may get dumped into the water. Bettas are not able to differentiate between voices and tones either.

How Does A Betta Fish Hear?

Coming to the scientific part, or specifically the biological part, Humans have hammers, anvils, and stirrup bones inside the head for hearing.

Bettas contain a set of bone structures similar to that. On the outside, they have tiny holes in the sides of their skull. This whole structure enables a betta to hear sound.

Discover more cool facts about Betta with this detailed post! Do Betta Fish Have Brains?

Can A Betta Identify Its Owner?

A betta fish can recognize its owner to a certain extent. The owner needs to invest a certain time every day with the betta so that the betta can start to recognize the owner.

As mentioned before, bettas are not that much capable of identifying the difference between sounds. But a betta fish can recognize its owner to a certain extent.

A typical person needs to invest a certain amount of time and hardship to get recognized by a betta fish. It is assumed that a long time process of caring and taking proper actions would lead to a point when your betta can recognize you!

When we are talking about a long time process, that contains creating a bond with sight, voice, and nourishment with your betta.

By using this ability, you can even drill your very own betta fish to make them do stunts!

Before going for the stunts and tricks it’s necessary to acknowledge another topic.

Does A Betta Fish Respond According To Sounds?

It’s sad that if you call a betta fish by its name it might not answer. Betta fishes are smart among the fish world but you cannot compare them to cats or dogs in this case.

But giving your pet betta an adorable name won’t hurt anyone, I guess.

Now coming to the tricks and stunt stuff.

Can Betta Fish Learn Tricks And Stunts?

Betta fish can learn tricks and stunts like jumping out of the water to catch food, jumping through loops, etc.

Now, by saying tricks and stunts we are not assuring you that your betta fish will do some bike stunts or fly above the sky. Your fish can play hide and seek with you in search of food. They can swim through loops by training. How to make this possible? Here comes another point.

Betta Fishes Can Associate Words With Action

A betta never knows if you are saying “sit” or “run”. They can only hear the sound of your voice.

But if you make a certain sound every day before providing them food, it would get adjusted with their habits and they will start responding to it.

You can utilize this system to train them with the tricks! But do remember that it takes both time and patience.

Now when we discussed some fun stuff, let’s add a little more to it.

Curious about Betta? This post is packed with info you won’t want to miss! Betta Fish Anatomy: Male vs Female, Internal & External Differences

Do Bettas Like Music?

Bettas don’t care about music as they are indifferent in terms of music. All though, if you are willing to enjoy a nice party with your pet betta then play a soothing and soft tune.

High frequency based music can produce vibration which can cause pain for your pet.

The Bad Consequence Of Sound For A Betta Fish

Bettas cannot detect rhythm, beat, or any other frequency but these do affect them. If you make a high drop sound near the fish tank, it might scare your precious little pet inside.

Also, do not tap in the glass of the tank.

It’s not a game for them and they do get stressed about this. Rather than being familiar, you might create a terrible impression on them.

How Do You Get The Attention Of Betta Fish?

You don’t have to yell, make noise, or tap in the glass of the tank to grab the attention of your betta fish. They will never appreciate these.

• Gently snap your fingers over the glass of water.
• Provide them food and get familiar with them.

Is It Important For A Fish To Have Hearing Ability?

It is extremely important for a fish to have its hearing ability for survival. The natural process of gathering substantial information for fishes is dependent on this skill.

Most often, it captures information from far away than other sensory stimuli. It also plays role in navigation and also helps to identify predators in the water. Communication of the reproductive stage also depends on it.

Overall, the hearing ability has a great impact on a fish’s life but it can also be terrible for them.

As Bettas are not fond of loud noises, it should be kept in mind that high-frequency sound waves might create dangerous effects on them.

Keep your TV or radio or soundbox away from the fish tank. It might help them to live in peace and Harmony without facing any fear or stress.

Expand your understanding of Betta—click here to uncover more! Can Betta Fish See Color? [Science Weighs In]

Conclusion

Yes, the creature with colorful fins, swimming in your tank, named Siamese Fighting fish or Betta, can hear you. This fish might not distinguish among the voices but are smart enough to detect predators with their hearing.

They can do tricks if you train them and can be familiar with you and recognize you as an owner.  You cannot put them with other fishes but they are enough to soothe your eyes with their mesmerizing body.

Indeed, their beauty alone holds down every question including their hearing skills as well.