The Vertikal Rotierender Fisch is the latest surreal, rotating aquatic star in a German TikTok trend redefining brain rot humor.

The meme draws viewers into a dense and absurdist world of a vertically rotating fish that appears in the oddest places. The Vertikal Rotierender Fisch (“Vertically Rotating Fish” in English) represents a weirdly familiar force of existential disruption. Users typically pair it with a deadpan line like “Oh no, not the vertically rotating fish again,” spoken in a monotone, AI-generated male voice.

The Vertikal Rotierender Fisch meme centers on a 3D model of a fish spinning head-to-tail, usually floating in mid-air or imposed in strange scenes like grocery stores, hallways, or underwater cityscapes. The fish has no apparent narrative purpose. It simply arrives, spinning silently or with ominous music.

Meme/trend creator: Unknown; likely part of the broader German brain rot genre

Meme type: Brain rot, video meme, catchphrase

First appearance: Late 2024

Used to convey: Sudden, surreal existential dread, or absurdity embedded in modern life