Why is the icon next to the "meta" a fish?

The whole website is nautical-themed, because a “fluther” is the word for a group of jellyfish. So meta discussion pertaining to the website has a nautical symbol, the fish.

It stinks, but if breaded and covered in ketchup it is pretty good.

Meta is fish-sticks. That is what I am saying.

Hey, this was the first question I ever asked on Fluther!

It’s actually grumpyfish, from the question ask page.

You’re a true classic, @dappled_leaves, and so is your question!

It’s a brilliant icon, as I’ve thought since the first time I saw it. It’s not just a fish, it’s a fish looking and/or moving upward—just what “meta” means in the context of software: “a prefix added to the name of a subject and designating another subject that analyzes the original one but at a more abstract, higher level” (Dictionary.com). “Metadata,” for example, which is data about data.

The fish in Meta is going above (in the sense of subject matter, not superiority) the general and social Q&A levels to questions about the site itself. It’s much easier to show direction of movement with a fish than with a jellyfish.

@Jeruba how intriguing!

Because the fish sees its own shadow, will winter persist for an additional six weeks?

While you’re at it:

Why are the site’s predominant colors green and brown?
Why is every other response highlighted in pale green?
Why is there a magnifying glass icon next to the “Browse” link?
Why does the jellyfish icon have only three tentacles showing? And why are they so thick?
Why is @Jeruba so damn smart?
Why doesn’t @andrew show up more often?

Why don’t you ask more questions?

@CWOTUS The answer to all those questions are all the same: Just cuz, cuz.