Wailing Dance

I am convinced that fish have a language and rituals of their own. I believe they communicate in ways we just don't understand.

Alf, the largest of my black mollies, died today. Last night, after I fed them, all the fish looked fine. Then suddenly, Alf stopped swimming. He just sat at the bottom of the tank panting. Jack Spratt and Tommy, but especial Jack, kept nudging his bottom, as if to get him to swim again. Then all the fish, including the penguin tetras, gathered around Alf. Clearly, something was up. It looked like the penguin tetras were either protecting Alf, bidding him farewell, or waiting for him to die so they could eat him.

But a few minutes later, all the fish dashed around the tank in a mad dance. It must've been their way of wailing and mourning the loss of their friend, because even though I didn't know it at the time, the fish must've known Alf would not recover. The wailing dance lasted a good five minutes. After that, all the fish pretty much left Alf alone, except Jack, who tried to nudge him to swim once in a while.

This morning, Alf was dead. The other fish resumed their regular swimming and chasing each other. No one tried to eat him.

More than any other fish deaths, and I've had many, I think Alf died of old age. He always struck me as an old fish.