Livingston



"'The anomaly...my ship...my crew...' I suppose you're worried about your fish, too."
 * - Q to Jean-Luc Picard in 2370

Livingston was a lionfish kept by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in his ready room aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) for the duration of the ship's existence. The spherical aquarium was located in the corner of the ready room, next to the viewport. 

In 2364, Lieutenant Commander Data examined Livingston's fish tank very closely with a magnification glass, as the android was implementing some of Sherlock Holmes' characteristics at the time. 

Livingston was seen while Captain Picard discussed the situation on Ventax II with Dr. Howard Clark. 

When visiting Picard in his ready room, Berlinghoff Rasmussen examined the fish and knocked on its aquarium. 

The Borg Hugh examined Livingston very closely when he was beamed into the ready room in late 2368. 

Both Q and DaiMon Lurin took great interest in the fish in early 2369, closely examining Livingston in the tank. 

Later that year, Captain Edward Jellico ordered that Livingston be removed from the ready room after he assumed command of the Enterprise. 

When visiting a holographic representation of the Enterprise, Deanna Troi wondered how Captain Jonathan Archer could have survived without a fish tank in his ready room. 

After being affected by Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome, William T. Riker attempted to break open Livingston's fish tank, possibly in order to consume him. Fortunately, he did not succeed. The fish had been affected by the Syndrome as well and was transformed into a jellyfish-like creature. 

Q thought Picard was probably worried about his fish as well as his ship and his crew after the captain saved Humanity from the effects of an anti-time anomaly in the Devron system in 2370. 

Livingston was given a much larger aquarium by 2371. Unfortunately, the Enterprise-D was soon destroyed, although Livingston's tank remained intact and survived the crash of the saucer section on Veridian III. 

For a time, Livingston was present in Picard's ready room on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), in a much larger tubular aquarium. 

Background information
Livingston was named for producer-director David Livingston. The fish was never called by that name in an episode, but was named behind-the-scenes by Star Trek: The Next Generation production staff. (Star Trek Encyclopedia)

According to Ronny Cox, Patrick Stewart hated Livingston's presence in the ready room, and constantly petitioned the producers to remove the fish. Stewart felt that it was inappropriate to have a captive animal in a series that valued the dignity of different species. Cox - who agreed with Stewart - stated that Livingston's temporary removal in "Chain of Command" was thus a "sort of a bone they threw to Patrick".

Livingston's aquarium was not readily visible in, but production photos of the set reveal that it was present. Livingston was not part of the set for and.

Livingston was portrayed by a in nearly every appearance. Only in did the fish change species and appear as a.

Livingston is the first of four recurring pets, which include Spot, Chester, and Porthos.