or do you think I should mention......

[grouchyoscar]

DS's school has a tropical fishtank in the reception area. On the top of the tank is a list entitled

'FISHES NAMES'

Have I got this right?...shouldn't it be

'FISH'S NAMES'

As the plural of 'fish' is 'fish and as it pertaints to the ownership of names it should have an apostrophy.

Pedants please advise.

And as the tank is just outside the head's office and if my suspicions are correct, should I raise the matter with the school? It doesn't look good in the reception of a school in special measures if it's wrong does it?

Think you are right...

Hi, pedant to the rescue.

I think FISH NAMES is how the sign should correctly read.
The plural of fish is ... ... fish.
Fishes is OK but not as top sausage as fish.

Think I crazy, think about sheep. Similar but different.

Bring it up with the head. I would... ...but I am a pedant!

I would bring it up too. Maybe you could do it with humour ie make a joke about the mistake - to save someone's face?

I'd go for

The Names of Our Fish are:

Fishes is definitely wrong .. as fishes is not a word

possibly Fish's but seems clunky .. although it would be following the rules of "Children's Names"

sorry, I beg to differ. Fishes is a word.

words ending in s or sh can simply have the apostrophe without the s so fish' names would be ok. the names of our fish is perhaps easiest

I thought to say 'Fishes' was like saying 'sheeps' or 'mooses'

Please advise squonk

See excerpt from Wikipedia:

"fishes refers to several species or other taxonomic types, while fish (plural) is used to describe multiple individual animals"

Does that mena if there are more than one species in the tank it should read "fishes' names" ?!

fish as a noun as opposes to fish as a verb (I fish, we fish, I fished, she fishes out a dictionary)

I think you can have either. I have a feeling that 'fishes' is perfectly acceptable so hold fire. I would look it up but I have to do the school run now.

I do like to see both carvivorous and vegetarian fish in the same tank.

(I'm only joshing)

grouchyoscar, what I meant was that fish can be a verb as well as a noun:

I fish
You fish
He fishes
They fish

so fishes is a word, just not in the context it is written on the fish tank.

sorry, xp - but yes, that's what I meant.

But you'd need an apostrophe none the less as the names belong to the fish(es).

Scotlou...they are all goldfish so would Fish be the correct plural in this instance?

BTW the fish should all be called Bob, cos if you look that's what they say

According to that Stephen Fry book about IQ fish have quite a long memory, about 3 months they suggest.

He doesn't mention that they're all saying bob though.

The work of a genius!!

Agree with Twiglett, and am happy to sign petitions to ban apostrophes totally.

But we need apostrophes.

How can I claim that things are mine otherwise?

But it's in a school, what sodding chance do the kids have?

So is 'Fish's Names' correct then

BTW, personal pedant moment. A shop in the local town was selling WELLY'S...What prperty pertaining to Welly they were selling was not made clear though

BTW Easywriter, I assume that you are saying the book by Stephen Fry is the work of a genius? If I thought you meant my observation on fish vocab was genius, especially in the context of Mr Fry's work, I would never get out of the door.

BRING BACK QI!

Totally agree that it is wrong but not sure of the best way forward as 'fish's names' suggests lots of names for one fish ... doesn't it? Maybe the best plan is to rewrite it to 'the names of our fish' or 'our fish are called ...' or something similar and avoid the confusion completely! I would point it out in a light hearted way to someone in passing.

Hmmmn Daisy....I have been trying to think of it if they had a pen of sheep instead (sheeps names....NOOOOOOOOO0) but you're right. The fish are called or the name of the fish are would be better

You could suggest a project for the children: each child picks a fish, draws it and sticks it on the wall with a "hello, my name is {bob}" caption.

Maybe I have stumbled across a 'grammar iniative test' within the school?

Hell, no wonder it's in special measures!