Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Staten Island Ferry Fish Dying Already?
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 4, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 4, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photograph of Staten Island ferry fishes through fish eye by urbanblitz on Flickr
A reported fish fatality in the Staten Island Ferry's newly installed $750,000 fish tanks has spurred a lively discussion about what could be happening to the scaly creatures on SILive's forums. One poster wrote the fish death (perhaps the second) was "possibly a princess parrot fish...By 7:30AM it hadn't become a meal yet, but some of his buddies were starting to show some [interest]."
Hypotheses rolled in: Maybe "he didn't pay off his loan shark," said one. Another suggested, "maybe its a fish serial killer. do fish have an equivalent of dexter?" Could it be a stealthy Ninja fish? Or was it a larger metaphor for life at the Staten Island Ferry terminal?
Finally, another weighed in with a reasonable explanation, (all-caps treatment taken out for sanity's sake), "the tanks are a mini-ecosystem and fish die in the oceans of the world. saltwater tanks take time to set up and time to regulate themselves, losing fish in that process is as common as you having to eat today." But perhaps Alicia Colon will write another article decrying the tanks as a waste of taxpayer money?
Tagged
fish
fish fatality
fish tank
flickr
SILive.com
staten island
staten island ferry
Staten Island Ferry Terminal
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
Because New Jersey is just trying to keep its people safe, here are your early links: Early voters get a spooky sticker, Tom Hanks returning to Broadway, a time capsule letter to the NYC mayor in 2026 and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 8:48 a.m. ET
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress
By
Walter Wuthmann
,
Jon Campbell
and
Brigid Bergin
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
By
Ryan Kost
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
By
Elizabeth Kim
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .