R.I.P. Little Pat

Little Pat’s gone to the big fish bowl in the sky.

After struggling for months, the goldfish named after gubernatorial candidate Pat LaMarche died this week, according to David Farmer, spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci.

Little Pat was one of four goldfish that lived through a nearly two-month long experiment last fall, swimming in a tank of Androscoggin River water while being the stars of their own Web cam.

The fish were visited by the candidates, each of whom was asked what they would do to clean up the river.

“She had been struggling for some time,” Farmer said.

– Kathryn Skelton

“There was a problem with her air bladder that caused her to float upside down all the time. She was not able to stay submerged and was having difficulty eating.”

She’ll be missed.