On Considering the Fish Tank.

I’m occasionally intrigued by the fact that people keep glass tanks of water containing tropical fish in their living rooms. I ask myself what the point of it is, because fish can hardly be described as pets in the commonly accepted sense of the term. They don’t join you on the sofa and lay their heads in your lap, do they? Neither do they perch on your finger and mimic your expletives. Humans and fish live in totally different, mutually exclusive environments which greatly limits close contact or any real attempt at emotional bonding.

I assume the appeal is purely visual, and I concede the point because coloured fish swimming around in bubbly water do look attractive. So is that it? Because if it is, the question has to be raised as to whether it’s entirely ethical to keep sentient beings in an unnaturally restricted environment just because they look nice. Personally I think not, but I reserve judgement because, in the absence of substantial familiarity with the nature of a fish’s consciousness, an informed opinion is difficult to establish.