A new species

The last Humpback cloudfish lived on the bottom of the ocean. It was so deep that no light ever penetrated down to his home. He remained oblivious to everything that went on above. It was clear to him that the world began and ended down here. As a much younger fish, he had tried to swim upwards in search of adventure, but an unpleasant grabbing sensation at his gills quickly sent him scurrying back to safety. He was content here with the Black Smoker that sent clouds of volcanic ash pluming up into the water and the small and tasty organisms that were nourished by its basaltic goodness.

Sometimes he became depressed when he looked around him and saw a great many species of worms and small invertebrates, but no other Humpback cloudfish. He was always able to pull himself out of it by telling himself that somewhere above him was Humpback cloudfish heaven, filled with thousands of his kin, and that when it was time, God would come to him and take him there. So when the net descended from the unfathomable shallows above and dragged along the sea floor until it scooped him up, he did not attempt to escape it. He remained calm even while the grabbing sensation turned into a burning that wracked his entire body. With his dying breath, he looked up and saw the beautiful blue sky, completely free of clouds, and wondered why God had betrayed him so.

The fishermen were sorting through the catch when they discovered a fish they had never seen before. One of them called out to the Marine biologist, which by law was required to be on every fishing vessel to prevent unsustainable practices from being employed. He picked it up and gazed at it, with a slight frown on his face. Placing it in an ice chest, he hurried down to his cabin and began to pore through his identification charts.

Hours later, he ran up the stairs with a maniacal glee that amazed the fishermen, for whom the ocean and its bounty were simply a treasure chest to be plundered. His deep voice boomed out over the ship, "Gentlemen, I do believe we have discovered a new species!"