Today has been sadly marked by the death of Blueboy. He was my favourite fish and beloved dwarf gourami, who died while we cleaned the tank today.

Blueboy always perked up when I approached the glass, he’d get excited and try to touch me through the glass with his little feelers, and follow me around. His favourite spot was hiding in the labyrinth of tall plants and leaves at the side of the tank, where nobody would bother him. Blueboy was a magnificently beautiful fish, iridescent blue with rainbow fins. Despite his dazzling beauty he was extremely humble and gentle-natured.

We discovered him by chance, in a plastic bag we had used to discard rotten leaves that had been netted. He was limp, mouth closed, his little fins folded neatly. He had been lying there for half an hour, totally at our mercy, waiting for us to see him. But we were too preoccupied to notice. We tried to revive him for 10 minutes even though it was hopeless. I hope he can forgive us for what we have done.

I can’t think of my little Blueboy without wanting to cry.