A sociable sunfish that reportedly missed its human audience during a temporary closure of its aquarium in Japan has been comforted in an unorthodox way.
In a photo posted by the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the sunfish is seen swimming in front of photos of human faces attached to a row of uniforms.
The move was a “last resort” to address the sunfish’s health issues, which a staff member said was due to loneliness, the aquarium said on its X account earlier this month.
And apparently it worked. “He looks healthy again!” the aquarium wrote the X the next day.
After the aquarium closed for renovation in December, the sunfish stopped eating jellyfish and began rubbing its body against the aquarium, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Monday.
Some staff members had initially suspected a case of parasites or digestive issues, but one suggested the fish might have been lonely without visitors showing up in its tank.
Sunfish, found in all oceans around the world, is a delicacy in Japan. They are thought to live up to 10 years in captivity, although they are not commonly found in aquariums due to the meticulous care required to house them.
The Kaikyokan sunfish is about 80 cm long (31 inches) and weighs almost 30 kg (66 lb).
Mai Kato, a staff member, told Mainichi Shimbun that the sunfish, which arrived at the aquarium a year ago, had a “curious” personality and “swam towards visitors when they approached the aquarium “.
After the photos and uniforms were released, the fish “felt better” the next day and was seen “waving its fins” in the aquarium, the aquarium said in its X post.
This publication sparked a wave of support from social media users. Some shared photos and videos they had taken of the sunfish during previous visits, and others promised to go see them when the aquarium reopened.
This is not the first time that a Japanese aquarium has offered innovative solutions to entertain the animals in its care.
During the pandemic, as zoos around the world reported their animals were feeling lonely due to a lack of visitors, a Tokyo aquarium held an “emergency” video call for its eels, which they said had become uncomfortable around humans after not seeing them. them for a long time.
