Martel used the Dorado fish in his novel, because the color-changing scales symbolized how Pi’s “scales” changed on this journey. Mahi Mahi, or dorado fish, have the connotation of “a metaphor applied to any place of fabulous wealth or inordinately great opportunity.” (constellationsofwords.com), and that is what this fanciful fish provided for Pi. He was starving and this was one of the only fish he caught in days, so catching this fish DID bring Pi fabulous wealth. According to Pi “The dorado did a most extraordinary thing as it died: it began to flash all kinds of colours in rapid succession. Blue, green, red, gold and violet flickered and shimmered neon-like on its surface as it struggled.” (Martel 185). The Dorado changed colors, just