Lonely sunfish in Japan gets cardboard human friends

In Japan, a sunfish at the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture, has been feeling quite lonely. The aquarium had to close for renovations, and during this time, the sunfish missed the company of its human visitors. To help the sunfish cope with its loneliness, the aquarium staff decided to take an unusual approach. They hung up uniforms on clothes hangers and placed photos of human faces in front of the sunfish's tank. The aquarium described this action as a 'last resort' to address the sunfish's health problems, which they believed were caused by its feelings of isolation. After the staff implemented this creative solution, they were pleased to report that the sunfish seemed to be in much better health. The aquarium shared this positive news on their social media account, stating, 'It seems to be in good health again! ' This development brought joy to many people. The sunfish had stopped eating jellyfish and was seen rubbing its body against the tank during the aquarium's closure. Initially, the staff suspected that the fish might have parasites or digestive issues, but one staff member suggested that the sunfish could be feeling lonely without the presence of visitors. Sunfish are fascinating creatures that inhabit oceans around the globe. In Japan, they are considered a delicacy, but they are not commonly found in aquariums due to the specialized care they require. The sunfish at Kaikyokan measures approximately 80 centimeters in length and weighs nearly 30 kilograms. Mai Kato, a staff member at the aquarium, mentioned that the sunfish, which arrived at the aquarium a year ago, had a curious personality and would often swim up to visitors when they approached the tank. After the aquarium staff put up the photos and uniforms, the sunfish appeared to feel better the very next day, and it was seen waving its fins joyfully in the tank. The aquarium's social media post received a warm response from the public, with many users expressing their support for the sunfish. Some shared their own photos and videos taken during previous visits, while others promised to visit the aquarium once it reopened. This is not the first time that a Japanese aquarium has come up with innovative solutions to entertain and comfort the animals in their care. During the pandemic, as many zoos around the world reported that their animals were feeling lonely, an aquarium in Tokyo organized similar activities to help their animals adjust to the absence of human visitors.