The Tank Saga: Part 2

The story continues, but its not a happy scene.

When the tank was cleaned out this week by Filippo, two fish were discovered. One (named Gilbert the Gobi, top) is in perfect health. We had previously thought he was a catfish, but in the intervening two weeks he has grown significantly and seems to be thriving in his recreated saltmarsh environment at the British Pavilion. The other fish, which we have been observing with concern for some time, is a passerin and is being nibbled alive by the crabs who also share this ecosystem - Ruskin and his comrades. (We aren't sure of the translation of passerin in English) Crabs seemingly become more territorial and  often turn cannibalistic when placed within an enclosed environment, regardless of how healthy the system is. Patsy the Passerin's tail is now a raw pink in colour, and is almost completely gone, ruining her sandy camouflage and compromising her swimming capabilities. Sadly it looks like her days are numbered. If she does make it to the end of the Biennale then she will probably form some other creature's dinner when returned to the lagoon.

We also found our pregnant crab dead, lying beside the outlet tank beneath the lagoon. We think she may have been a victim of the drain/pump/filtration process - or an unhappy case of suicide. It was a sad moment to realise that the Legacy of the Lagoon would not be through its crablets.