Aquatic mercy killing. Right or wrong?

That above is what is called a “Beta” fish. It’s incredibly rare. I think they’re native only to Jersey City but, on incredibly rare occasions, are exported to surrounding areas. I haven’t checked my facts but this seems about right. We have a wildlife culture that is very unique here on the west side of the Hudson. EAT IT, New York.

I had one of these incredibly rare and majestic animals until last night. His name was “Mega Pixel.” Although he was likely nothing more than a mass of flesh, bones, natural reflexes and a theoretical 2-second memory, I dug the little guy. Being a vegetarian for moral reasons, I genuinely valued his little life.

Over the past week, Mega Pixel had stopped eating. I cleaned his bowl. No change. I added water conditioner. Ditto. The little guy would swim up to the surface of the water, look at me, stick the tip of his face out of the water and open his mouth, creating the tiniest of splash sounds. He just wouldn’t eat his damn food. Just kind of look at it. He was clearly trying to communicate something to me. Something that a) I had no hope of understanding yet b) raised serious doubts in my mind about this whole 2-second memory bullshit.

Finally, Mega Pixel stopped moving all that much. For the past few days, he kind of just hung out at the top of the bowl, lightly moving his fins about. It was incredibly sad but not as sad as when I got home last night and saw him facing the ground. Vertically hanging in the middle of the bowl, performing that same, sad fin flap.

Deciding that a slow vertical death was no way for Mega Pixel to spend his last hours, I decided to euthanize him via the traditional method. Sadly, I learned after the fact that a freezer or blunt strike would have been the more humane way to do it. However, I at least take solace in the fact that the process of his death was hastened. Hopefully it was all for the best.

Now I’m left with a couple questions that, perhaps, you all could chime in on. First, was it “right” for me to kill the fish instead of letting it die “naturally?” Second, what should I do with this empy retail space? What being should occupy this now dormant space? Chime in comments-style and I’ll procure said being and then all y’all can help me name it.