A gregarious sunfish that was reportedly missing the human public during the temporary closure of its aquarium in Japan was comforted in an unusual way.
In a photo released by the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the sunfish is seen swimming in front of pictures of human faces attached to a row of uniforms.
The move was a “last resort” to address the sunfish's health problems, which a staff member believed stemmed from loneliness, the aquarium said on its X account earlier this month.
And apparently it worked. “Seems to be in good health again!” the aquarium wrote to X the next day.
After the aquarium was closed for repairs in December, the sunfish stopped eating jellyfish and began rubbing its body in the tank, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Monday.
Some staff members initially suspected a case of parasites or digestive problems, but one of them suggested that the fish may have been lonely without visitors appearing in its tank.
Sunfish, found in every ocean in the world, is a delicacy in Japan. They are thought to live up to 10 years in captivity, although they are not often seen in aquariums due to the meticulous care required to house them.
The Kaikyokan sunfish is about 80 cm (31 in) long and weighs nearly 30 kg (66 lb).
Mai Kato, a staff member, told the Mainichi Shimbun that the sunfish, which arrived at the aquarium a year ago, has a “curious” nature and “will swim towards visitors when they approach the tank.”
After the photos and uniforms appeared, the fish “felt better” the next day and was seen “flapping its fins” in the tank, the aquarium said in its X post.
The post was met with an outpouring of support from social media users. Some shared photos and videos of the sunfish they had taken on previous visits, and others promised to go and see it when the aquarium reopened.
This is not the first time that a Japanese aquarium has come up with innovative solutions to entertain the animals in their care.
During the pandemic, as zoos around the world reported that their animals were become lonely due to lack of visitorsaquarium in Tokyo organized “emergency” video call event for his eelswho they believed was uncomfortable around people after not seeing them for a long time.