So, you are interested in finding out if fish cry or not. You’ve come to the right place then because in this article I’ll give you the exact answer to this question and I’ll also cover some closely related questions, so make sure you keep on reading this article till the end.
Can fish cry? Fish can’t cry because they lack the part of the brain which makes us humans able to produce tears. The part of the brain that produces tears in mammals is called the cerebral cortex. Fish won’t even be able to engage in something similar to crying.
Besides, the entire body of fish is constantly submerged in water which results in their eyes also being constantly bathed in water. So, even if they were able to cry it would probably be very hard to notice.
Also, we humans cry because it is the lubrication for our eyes which is something that isn’t necessary for fish because their eyes are already exposed to water all the time.
You’ll, however, see pretty much all the mammals that live on this earth produce tears because all mammals have a cerebral cortex.
Why can fish not cry?
As we mentioned before, fish cannot cry because they lack the part of the brain which allows mammals to produce tears. This part of the brain is called the cerebral cortex. Besides, fish lack both the emotional depth and mental complexity to be able to cry.
Even if fish were able to cry, their tears would probably be hard to notice as fish are most of the time submerged in water. And even when they’re held out of the water, they would still be so wet that tears would be hard to spot.
Can sharks cry?
A shark is a fish and just like all the other fish species that are out there sharks cannot cry because they lack the part of the brain which is called the cerebral cortex. It also wouldn’t make much sense for sharks to be able to cry as they’re already submerged in water throughout their lives.
So, you can be sure that even if a shark is being chased by a few orca’s that the shark will be frightened but that the shark will not cry.
Can dolphins cry?
Dolphins are categorized as mammals but they lack the part of the brain which produces tears. This part of the brain is called the lacrimal gland and they lack this because water mammals do not need any tear ducts.
People have, however, seen dolphins act sad or they’ve heard dolphins making distressed noises when, for example, another dolphin is injured or has recently died. So, they can show emotions but you won’t be able to notice any tears when they’re sad.
If you can’t get enough of learning about fish then I encourage you to check out the “Fish Category Page” which consists of various articles that give answers to fish-related questions.
Is there a fish species that cries like a baby?
You can be sure that there aren’t any fish species out there that will be able to cry as there are no fish species out there that have the part of the brain that produces tears. This part of the brain is called the cerebral cortex.
It is, however, known that any fish species out there can vocalize underwater, and especially the three-spined toadfish is a master at producing non-linear sounds that can come pretty close to the sounds that crying babies make.
Can fish shed tears?
Because fish do not have the part of the brain which enables animals to produce tears you won’t see fish having any tears. This part of the brain is called the cerebral cortex which can only be found in mammals.
So, you can be sure that fish won’t show any tears when they’re being chased by a predator but you can be sure that they will be frightened and will do anything to escape.
Can fish make crying noises?
Generally, you can expect fish to not make any crying noises that we humans are used to. There are, however, similar noises that fish can produce when they’re, for example, in distress. If you encounter this then you can be sure that it is a cry of fear.
It is also possible for dolphins to produce noises that are a bit related to crying noises and in the case of dolphins, they may produce these noises if they’ve recently lost one member of their group.
Related questions
Do fish have emotions?
Although they are hard to spot at times, fish do have emotions. There have been many scientists researching the behavior of fish and they’ve, for example, found that fish can recognize one another. They can also show affection to one another.
Are there fish that can scream?
Generally, you can expect fish to not be able to scream. It is, however, possible for the three-spined toadfish to vocalize a range of calls that are known to be non-linear. These vocalizations would come the closest to screaming.
Do fish feel pain?
Although fish are probably unable to feel pain the way we humans feel pain, you can be sure that they will still feel pain. Fish have nociceptors that can detect harm that’s being done. For example, when the fish is exposed to high temperatures, chemicals, or high pressures.
Check out the video below which explains well why fish can feel pain.
Conclusion
Now you know that fish cannot cry because they lack the part of the brain that is required to produce tears. This part of the brain is called the cerebral cortex and all mammals that live on this earth have this. Fish not having this part of the brain to cry is probably for the best because for mammals crying is the lubrication for their eyes. And this is not needed for the eyes of fish because they’re already submerged in water.
