An Idyllic Picture of Serenity, but Only if You’re Not Inside

Des poissons dans un aquarium © Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP


29/12/2011 10:55 am

Tropical fish hobbyists will tell you their tanks are a source of relaxation, but recent research suggests the fish might disagree.

Nearly 13 million American households contain a fish tank, and the average tank size is less than 10 gallons. Yet a study comparing the behavior of common freshwater fish in a variety of habitats found that those kept in such small tanks were considerably more aggressive than those in larger ones — more likely to fight, flare their gills and guard whatever tiny alcoves they could find.

New York Times