In the article "Hooked on a Myth", Victoria Braithwaite argues that contrary to popular belief, fish experience pain and suffering, and that we as humans should account for their pain through a more 'ethical approach' in fish maintenance. This argument does not seem adequate because while fish have been proven to react negatively to harmful substances (just like any other animal), they do not necessarily have the same emotional capacity to feel pain than that of other animals. Therefore, Braithwaite essentially implies that fish deserve special treatment that many far more advanced and intelligent animals do not receive. Braithwaite also questions whether fish are conscious of their own behavior, but what she fails to address is that fish are incapable of actually understanding and processing emotions. Fish can't feel happiness, sadness, or even express anger or grief.

However, Braithwaite does raise compelling arguments on what fish are actually capable of accomplishing. Today's stereotype of fish being 'slow, dim-witted creatures' is thrown out the window when she explains their abilities to process their surroundings and to cleverly escape predators. Fish are not black or white creatures in the way they act, but rather have a somewhat more advanced thought process not immediately acquired at birth/

While fish are not particularly advanced organisms, they most certainly are not the dim-witted vertebrates that many believe. Braithwaite's article reflects that fish are more intelligent than originally assumed, but by no means should fish be entitled to any rights or special privileges not given to other animals due to their low emotional capacity.