The fish has always been a very symbolic creature for us humans. Whether it is because it lives in what can be viewed as a completely different world from ours, in the depths of the sea, or because it is so important to our survival as a species. Lately, we have been looking at the fish population as the "canary in the coalmine" as far as the health of our planet is concerned. The overall population of fish are shrinking, as we continue to pollute their homes for the sake of convenience.

From the beginning of time, the fish has been used as a symbol of life and hope. It is widely recognised as the official symbol for christianity, and Christians se it as a sign of faith and abundance. Many parables in the Christian bible revolve around the fish, the followers of Jesus were even referred to as "Fishers of Men". But the Christians aren't the only ones who recognise the importance of this mystical creature. Everywhere you look, from East Indian mythology to paganism, the is found, and the meanings behind the symbols are always similar; purity, hope;faith; abundance.

Cartoon Fish On TV

Cartoons are quite often modern day interpretations fo ancient symbols, and this is very noticeable in this case. Sea creatures have been used in so many different comics and cartoons throughout the years that it would be near impossible to list them all in this article. I will however give you some of my favourites and if I miss any glaringly obvious ones, please feel free to add to my list in the comments.

Jabberjaws - Jabberjaws was one of the original cartoon fish, created by Hanna Barbera in the early 1990's. The plot is set in the future, the year is 2076, and Jabberjaws is the drummer of a band called The Neptunes. They live in a vast underwater world, and they fight crime on a regular basis. Part of the inspiration for Jabberjaws was believed to have come from the popularity of the original Jaws film, which came out at the same time. Poor old Jabberjaws never got any respect.

Street Sharks - Some people found the concept of turtles being ninjas a little far fetched. Those that weren't enamoured with the "Heroes in a half shell" turned their adoration to a new breed of cartoon fish - The Street Sharks. The Street Sharks were an obvious ploy to ride on the coat tails of the green pizza eating dudes. They were half human half sharks mutated from an evil scientist experiment gone horribly wrong. The four brothers, Ripster, Jab, Streex and Big Slammu lived to fight crime, and coincidentally, hated pizza.

Cartoon Fish In The Movies

Shark Tale - In 2004 Dreamworks bought out a feature movie that didn't sit so well with the critics. Shark Tale had an all star cast of cartoon fish, including Will Smith in the lead role, with superstar performances by the likes of Jack Black (as a vegetarian mafia bosses son), Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Although the critics slammed it, the public loved it and it made a bundle at the box office.

The Little Mermaid - Half lady, half cartoon fish, the little mermaid Ariel won the heart and imagination of little girls all over the world. She struck a real chord with girls who were struggling to learn who they were with her tale of longing to be a part of a forbidden world. Her cartoon fish friend, flounder,was another favourite, as he was the only one that stuck by Ariels side through thick and thin.

Finding Nemo - No list of cartoon fish would be complete without this, one of the most amazing films, animated or not, ever made. Nemo charmed us and made us cringe as he struggled to find his way home, and his father Marlin was someone that all parents could relate to, doing anything in his power for the safety of his son. This movie is the cartoon fish movie of all time, and I doubt that any other movie will ever be able to knock it off it's throne. From the unforgettable (but very forgetful) Dory, to the three members of Fish Eaters Anonymous (Bruce, Anchor and Chum) and the cast of a thousand other species of fish, this movie seemed to have a different message for every person that watched it.

These are by no means all the cartoon fish that have lived in the history of cartoons, just my personal favourites. I have to also give an honourable mention to Blinky, the three eyed fish from the Simpsons, a sad victim of a badly managed nuclear power plant. I guess I should also mention Spongebob Squarepants from Bikini Bottom, even though I absolutely detest him and hi stupid starfish friend Patrick, the kids, for whatever reason, love them.

As I said, not a comprehensive list of cartoon fish,but definitely the ones that stick in my memory as the most important ones. Feel free to add to it in the comments...