Got a better name: "Legendary Catfish"
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Note that not all catfish in fiction are The Catfish, and not all examples of Catfish are catfish. |
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So, this trope has a Non-Indicative Name as of this writing.
I don't have any ideas for a better one... any suggestions?
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Why not follow the lead of Legendary Carp and call it "Legendary Catfish"?
Seconding Looney Toons suggestion, and rewrite the paragraph to "Not every fictional catfish is a Legendary Catfish, and some of the examples below aren't actual catfish (or even aquatic animals at all), as this trope is not about the animal but about prey animals that for some reason have become infamously difficult to catch or kill, and it's named after the species most frequently targeted under this trope"
I think "Legendary Prey" or "The Legendary Hunt" may work better, to avoid confusion re: Catfishing? On the other hand, Catfish do seem to be the most common animal in these examples, so would that take prevalence?
I'd like to broaden the scope of the trope in explicit terms. Specifically, I don't want the animal putting up a dangerous fight to be a requirement or even implied to be a requirement. If something is just elusive and hard to catch and people want to catch it, then I think that should count too. If the trope is broadened, then that could have implications on what the new name will be.
A couple of paragraphs in the middle of the description seem to be describing a different trope;
"In a more general sense, an animal that ought to be considered easy prey, yet it is also a vicious creature that attacks you instead, succeeds in biting you and leaving a nasty scar (sometimes despite having no teeth!). Oh, and it's darn near impossible to kill no matter how hard you beat on it, or how many bones you break. Maybe it's a Killer Rabbit, Evil Squirrel, or a Rabid Raccoon, or the actual evil Catfish himself (Several shows will have a whole episode about an evil vicious Catfish), but if it's an animal that should be easy prey, but turns into a Moby Dick-style Animal Nemesis you've sworn to kill or die trying, you're probably dealing with The Catfish."
While I agree Moby Dick would probably fit this trope (it's a giant fish with a reputation for being a giant fish), I don't see how say, a Rabid Raccoon could reach the level of notoriety to qualify, nor have multiple people aspire to catch it (if I'm reading the trope right?). Could we just scrap this section, and add in a "may become Animal Nemesis to some" at the bottom?