Cacapho Fish

Most fish are able to mimic the first sound they hear after hatching. This is not widely known, because most fish are born in relatively silent environments. Thus, they mimic the quiet.   Not the Cacapho-fish.   This strain of grouper traces its roots to the The Kingdom of Blintz, where, during the festivities accompanying the ascension of Emperor Blattherd, a rousing live performance of O Let the Bells and Wrenches Fall was broadcast to the mainland from the Choral Islands via megaphone, over the placid Oseen straits during the peak of the hatching season.   Within two generations, the new song of the Cacapho-fish drove away all but the hardiest (and deafest) of predators, ensuring the continuation of the strain.   The Cacapho-fish travels in large schools, in which the entire community welcomes new hatchlings into the world with great fanfare.

DOMESTICATION

Cacaphos are not popular pets. Not only do they make that noise all the time, but their size and fussy temperaments make it difficult to keep them happy in captivity (and when a cacapho is unhappy, they only make more noise). There is an old school in the Aquarium at John Ba'al Zuulogical Gardens, though they're housed in a separate facility due to complaints from the rest of the tenants.

USES, BYPRODUCTS & EXPLOITATION

Cacapho roe is considered a delicacy. The eggs make a delicate tinkling noise as they're consumed, leading some to believe that the embryos are conscious and capable of expressing their displeasure at being eaten. Now and then, animal rights activists stage a rescue, turning high-brow meals and appetizers into potential activist hotspots.   The fishes' ample deposits of gelatinous fat blocks most electromagnetic rays and environmental contaminants, making it an excellent preservative gel, though few wish to reach in to retrieve anything so preserved.