If there is anything sacred in Vermont’s music scene, the Green Mountain-grown jam rock band Phish tops the list, but apparently even they can’t avoid the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ seemingly endless public scrutiny.

On Friday, PETA Special Projects Manager Michelle Cho issued a letter to area media outlets outlining a request that the band temporarily change its name to the “Sea Kittens.”

The letter, addressed to Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Page McConnell, says the request is an attempt to gain empathy for fish, “because few people are aware that fish are actually smart animals with personalities.”

You know, after that intellectually stimulating discussion on atheism and the Roman sea god, Neptune, with my goldfish last week, I’m now wondering if they might have a point. He was quite adamant on the subject just before I fed him to my cat.

“For example, they communicate and develop relationships with one another, feel pain when injured (their lips are particularly sensitive, and they use them like we use our fingers), show affection by gently rubbing against other fish, and even grieve when other fish they like die,” the letter continues.

[...]“Phish has a long history of promoting social justice. Renaming the band Sea Kittens would be a great way to help sea kittens rock on, free from fishing nets and hooks, even if just for a day,” the letter says.