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Some say it with flowers, others with diamonds and fine jewelry.

But at City Pets on Beechnut they say love with fish.

Actually, parrot fish that have been tattooed and imported to the U.S. from Asia.

KHOU - TV

Tattooed fish have become the latest fad.

Some call them valentines with fins.

The obvious question:  how do you tattoo a fish?

“I have no idea. Must be injected. Probably with a needle. I have no idea,” said David Nguyen who works at Pet City.

While the staff at that store may not know much about the tattooing process, they do know they’re popular.

So much so you might say they’re swimming off the shelves.

But some question whether the tattoo is good for the fish.

“I have no idea,” said Nguyen.

“We really recommend people don’t get a pet based on a fad. And that’s what this is. When the newness is gone and the joy is over, you still have a pet for which you have a lifetime responsibility,” said Heidi Brasher with the Houston SPCA.

Is it cool or cruel?

After all we’re talking about a fish.

“Imposing our will and having a nice little message isn’t probably in the best interest of the fish,” said Brasher.

The HSPCA, which clearly isn’t in love with the idea, says fish should be treated as pets not billboards.