It's hard to walk into a store these days without seeing the lovely and forgetful star of Disney/Pixar's film Finding Dory smiling back at you.Toys,games,books,T-shirts,lunch boxes-Dory is everywhere.Many kids will put these items on their holiday wish list.But one thing that should be left off that list is a real live Dory.
It's happened many times in the past.A box-office hit or clever commercial turns an animal into a star and suddenly everyone wants one.It becomes a"fad."But the definition of a fad is:something that is only popular for a short time.
Animal shelters have taken in thousands of animals who became instantly popular,and then just as suddenly were unwanted.They include certain dog breds(品种),rabbits,and wilife like turtes,snakes,lizards and fishes.
When Finding Nemo was released in 2003,clown fish became a must-have pet,and millions of people rushed out to buy them.But like other fad animals(including turtles after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit the big screen),people soon realized that they weren't prepared to care for them properly.As a result,many of the fish died.
That has scientists like Jonathan Balcombe worried.Dory is a kind of fish called a royal blue tang,explains Balcombe.Blue tangs live around coral reefs.And unlike clown fish,they can't be bred in tanks.That means they are captured from the wild,usually using methods that harm them as well as other marine animals(海洋动物)and their ocean habitats.
Blue tangs can easily become ill if not cared for properly.So before you add a Dory look-alike to your wish list,remember this.Movies last only an hour or two,but pets are for life.If you want a great pet,visit an animal shelter.Let fishes like Dory continue to swim in the ocean where they belong.