Does a guppy prefer effort or ease? What the puzzle-feeder study shows
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
The idea that a fish naturally prefers to "work" for its food rather than receive it ready-made sounds appealing, but it was not a given for Varracchio, Gatto, Bertolucci and Lucon-Xiccato, who tested it directly on guppies in a study published in 2024 in the journal Ethology (see the study). Our guides on enriching aquarium fish are gathered in the fish toys and enrichment section.
Contents · 4 sections
A choice between free food and a foraging device
The researchers placed guppies in front of two simultaneous food sources: one freely accessible, the other available only through a puzzle feeder requiring manipulation effort to release the food particles. In the large majority of trials, guppies headed first for the effortlessly available food rather than the puzzle feeder.
The feeder isn't ignored, though
That result is not a negative one for cognitive enrichment overall: once the easy food was consumed, most guppies turned to the puzzle feeder and actively explored it, with a number of choices in its favour clearly above what a null interest would have produced. In other words, the fish does not seek difficulty for its own sake, but stays curious and capable of interacting with a complex object once its immediate food need is met. The study also notes a difference between sexes, with females generally more receptive to the feeder than males.
What this means for using a foraging toy
Our article on foraging feeders and feeding enrichment details the behavioural benefits of this kind of accessory; this study adds a useful nuance: a puzzle feeder works better as an occasional add-on to a normal meal than as the sole food source, because a hungry fish will first seek the fastest route to food, not the most stimulating one. Our general guidance on fish needs is gathered in the fish hub.
- Free food chosen first in the large majority of trials, ahead of a puzzle feeder.
- Genuine interest in the feeder once the easy meal was finished, with a number of choices significantly above zero.
- Females more receptive than males to the puzzle feeder, according to the study's data.
- Effort and ease coexist: the fish does not seek difficulty, but stays curious when it's offered.
The puzzle feeder therefore keeps its place as an enrichment tool, as long as it isn't expected to replace regular, normal feeding: used as a complement, it gives the fish a chance to explore without denying it easy access to its ration.
Frequently asked questions
Is a guppy that ignores the puzzle feeder a problem?
No: according to the study, ignoring the toy first to feed the simplest way is the most common behaviour, not an anomaly.
Should the feeder be offered before or after the main meal?
Afterwards, as a complement: the fish will explore a foraging object more once its immediate food need is satisfied.
Does this result hold for species other than guppies?
The study focuses specifically on guppies; other fish might respond differently depending on their natural feeding mode, but a priority interest in easy food remains a reasonable hypothesis beyond this one species.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Programmable automatic aquarium fish feeder (€32.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Fishkeeping universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.