No. Goldfish memory is not limited to three seconds. Experiments show that these fish can learn information and use it beyond that brief interval.
In a Plymouth study, goldfish learned to operate a food lever during a daily feeding window. Anticipatory behaviour persisted for a limited number of days after food rewards stopped. Separately, Oxford researchers trained goldfish to swim a set distance, which most could estimate after the turn-around cue was removed.
These experiments tested different abilities, rather than measuring a single maximum memory span. Their results reject the three-second claim without establishing that every goldfish remembers every kind of information for the same length of time.
Goldfish can learn and retain information beyond three seconds. Memory performance depends on the task being tested.
University of Plymouth
Goldfish learned a daily feeding window. Anticipatory responding persisted for a limited number of days after the food dispensers were deactivated, contradicting a universal three-second memory limit.
Based on: University of Plymouth
University of Oxford
Researchers trained nine goldfish to swim a set distance. Most estimated that distance after an external turning cue was removed. This demonstrates another learned ability, rather than measuring a maximum memory duration.
Based on: University of Oxford
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