A man says he bought a fish from his local pet store, only to later discover that they had given him an additional fish with no tail.
Andrew (@wh0reableperson) uploaded a short video to TikTok where he documented the fish in his fish tank at home. In the clip, two fish are visible. Both appear to be the same type of fish, but one is swimming normally and has a tail that’s clearly longer than the other. The fish with a shorter tail appears motionless as it lays on the ground of the fish tank.
The TikToker explains how he came to be in possession of the tailless fish.
“The pet store gave me a fish without a tail and I literally only asked, and paid for one, so now he just sits on the ground and breathes,” he says in the text overlay.
In the caption, Andrew goes further, alleging the store knew about the fish’s condition but did not want to deal with it themselves.
“I feel so bad for him … I feel like they just didnt wanna deal w him cuz its inevitably gonna die but its f*cked he j gave it to me it looks so sad,” he writes.
The post received 5 million views, and viewers were just as distraught about the tailless fish and its new owner.
“That’s so messed of them to do to both of you,” wrote one person.
Another agreed and added, “We need laws to protect fish at pet stores they’re so mistreated it’s so sad.”
A number of people offered up suggestions for how the fish could be made more comfortable.
“I’ve seen people use those floatie hammocks for fish with bladder problem that sink maybe a mini one of those?” said one person.
“Can you please make him a fish wheelchair,” asked another.
But some viewers were hopeful for the tailless fish.
“WAIT if these are cory catfish i also had one with a missing tail but i fr just kept his tank w lots of plants and it grew back in no time,” read one comment.
@wh0reableperson I feel so bad for him:( i feel like they just didnt wanna deal w him cuz its inevitably gonna die but its fucked he j gave it to me it looks so sad#fish #notail #sick #aquarium #tank #fishtank ♬ Sunsetz – Cigarettes After Sex
It’s unclear whether the fish will grow its tail back, but in a heartening update, Andrew posted a follow-up video in which he reveals that the fish can indeed swim.
“Guys he can swim,” the TikToker writes, overjoyed as the fish makes its way around the tank.
The Daily Dot reached out to Andrew via TikTok direct message for further updates about the fish.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
