Fish

I have no idea how fish operate. I don't understand their behavior and have never looked into whether or not they even have genuine thought processes. However, I do not need to know how they operate scientifically to appreciate the relationship I sat and watched last night in a giant tank.

The tank sits in the waiting room of my doctor's office. Ten years ago there were about a half a dozen pair of fish. Each having a mate or friend or whatever of their species or breed. It looked very balanced. Today, many of those fish have been replaced. Three of the originals remain and are quite large. They no longer have partners. As a matter of fact, none of the fish have a matching species in the tank. The tank didn't appear as aesthetically pleasing with the mismatched fish, and if at that moment I thought fish could actually have feelings, I felt sorry for them.

I went from simply watching the fish to almost studying them. I could pick out who ruled the tank and who didn't. I was able to see what part of the tank each had chosen as their own domain. I watched other fish trespass and the owners balk. I still wondered if these were actions from thought processes or simple instinct.

There was a gourami fish that was small and must have been relatively new to the tank due to its size. Another new addition was some sort of goldfish with a mouth that remained open in the shape of an 'O'. It appeared that both of these fish had claimed the same territory as they appeared to take turns in each others spot.

As I watched these two fish it was very apparent they were actually interacting with each other on purpose. They seemed to be 'playing'. One would coax the other in a very childlike fashion to come near. They spent a lot of time 'kissing' each other. The gourami seemed to be more in control with the goldfish seeking the attention. If the gourami swam away, the goldfish looked for it. It really looked like this goldfish was smitten and almost needed the gourami to share its space. If I didn't know better, and actually I don't, I would say this was indeed a love affair of a very innocent kind.

I was very touched by the attention they gave each other. I have never witnessed fish paying what looked like adoration to a fish that was not its species. Perhaps it happens all the time, I have just never seen it. Either way, it just made me very aware of how even the simplest of animals in our world have the ability to see past the obvious differences in each other.

Its saddens me that the most complex animals, us, cant seem to get past the most simplest of diversities.