The Sunday Poem: Paradise Shark

The best sort of shark,
Chasing longfins too large
To mouth, graceful grey,
Paint fleck fins, a lofty
Catfish, small, not big
Enough to eat but proud
Of hunting, his name
An attitude, a look, and
All the teeth he needs.

“Paradise shark” is an alternate name for the common aquarium catfish usually known as the rainbow shark.

We’ve had several of these over the years, though we don’t have one right now. The main characteristics of this fish are that they are kind of territorial, chasing away other fish, very much proud of being a “shark” — and that they are only a couple of inches long. They also have little black barbels that look like a cartoon French mustache.