Do Fish Really Have Brains and Intelligence?

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The discussion centers on the relationship between structure and intelligence in fish, emphasizing that fish do possess brains and, by extension, intelligence. It questions whether intelligence can exist independently of structure, suggesting that the brain represents the culmination of a fish's structural capabilities. Observations of fish behavior, particularly in schools, lead to speculation about their instinctual and reflexive actions, hinting at a possible collective intelligence or group dynamics. The conversation also reflects on the significance of individual species within their ecosystems, noting that the loss of one species impacts the whole. The mention of a unique golden trout in Utah highlights the complexity and awareness of fish in their natural habitats.
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Do fish have brains? It's a simple enough question isn't it? Cleary if fish exist -- as a "structure" -- and, fish have brains -- within that "stucture" -- we must consider the whole of the fish, when referring to the intelligence and, structure of that fish. Correct? So, in what way does structure not serve, and hence coincide, with intelligence? Indeed, how does it vary from the structure of the Universe, when viewed as a (structured) system as a whole?

Now, does this mean I'm saying we as human beings are the articulators of the Universe? No it does not. I am merely asking if it's possible to separate intelligence from structure. In other words, how does intelligence in fact "arrive," without its contingency upon structure as its basis? And, where we may recognize intelligence within the brain, as the epitome or, "final outcropping" of that structure, does that mean the rest of the system does not entail intelligence?

Surely we couldn't argue this in the case with a fish!
 
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Note: For anyone who may be thrown by the original post, the first question was more rhetorical, and was in response to a question someone else had posed elsewhere, regarding the nature of structure versus intelligence. Obviously, fish do have brains. Okay?

Thanks.
 
Watching large schools of fish swim in perfect unison, makes me think that they are electrically sensitive, or telepathic, or have some large "group mind thing" that they do. Fish look to be so much a part of their environment, and their group dynamics are miraculous. They seem possessed of strong instinct and will, and function in an incredibly reflexive fashion. They can be amazingly defensive, and then so driven they seem reckless, yet I think that each species and specialized subspecies is an entire entity, so the loss of one is like the loss of a part of a whole.

There is a place that is a spring area in the high Uinta mountains of Utah. A special golden trout lives there. They are cagey, and on that white sand bottom, looking up through the shallows they inhabit, nothing is missed. They are not to be caught, but I love watching their shadows.
 
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