I like the quality of the image, it is very good, I just think that it is too literal for what we are doing. We want brand in the sense of branding, and this may give peopel another idea.
Thanks for the look and feedback. For my own part, I am confident there won't be any confusion around the graphic. It has those layers of meaning that give a good mark the 'ah-ha' factor, as I call it. People look and after a moment say "Ah-ha, I get it - branding, like the cattlemen did, leaving one's mark, identifying a product/service, 'branding' in the 21st century - BrandFish! Those guys are clever..."
You might be interested to know, I got a private message about the design from another contest holde in which they express their admiration for the concept.
Anyway, I hear you and respect your need to worry about how things could go wrong, but don't share your worry. In fact, I see the marriage of this mark and your company name as being a unique opportunity to make a clever statement about branding in the larger sense and about your own personal identity.