The Kaikyokan aquarium in Japan resorts to cardboard cutouts to support a lonely sunfish's mental health during temporary closure, successfully improving its condition.
Unique Solution to Sunfish Loneliness: Cardboard Friends Deployed in Japanese Aquarium
Unique Solution to Sunfish Loneliness: Cardboard Friends Deployed in Japanese Aquarium
A Japanese aquarium creatively addresses the health of a lonely sunfish by installing cardboard human figures to mimic visitors during renovations.
In an innovative move to combat the loneliness of a sociable sunfish, the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture, has installed cardboard human figures to simulate an audience during its renovation closure. The aquatic creature, who had reportedly exhibited signs of distress, was seen engaging with photos of human faces attached to uniforms posted around its tank. According to the aquarium's team, they felt compelled to take this creative approach as a "last resort" for addressing the fish's health, which they believed was affected by loneliness, as noted in a post on their X account earlier this month.
Reports revealed that after the aquarium shut down for renovations in December, the sunfish refused to eat jellyfish and began rubbing its body against the tank walls. Initially, staff suspected it was a parasite or digestive issue; however, one employee proposed that the absence of visitors might be the culprit behind the sunfish's decline.
Sunfish, prevalent in oceans worldwide, can live up to 10 years in captivity but are not commonly found in aquariums due to the considerable care they require. The sunfish at Kaikyokan measures approximately 80 cm (31 in) in length and weighs nearly 30 kg (66 lbs). Mai Kato, a staff member, described the sunfish as having a "curious" nature, often swimming towards visitors when they approached the tank.
After the cardboard cutouts were introduced, aquarium staff observed that the sunfish appeared to rally almost immediately, soaring its fins in the tank the very next day. The successful initiative prompted a positive response on social media, with users sharing cherished memories and photos of the sunfish from previous visits, even promising to return when the aquarium reopens.
This event is not unprecedented for Japanese aquariums; during the pandemic, a Tokyo aquarium organized a video call for its eels, worried they were becoming unaccustomed to human interaction after extended visitor absences. Clearly, such innovative solutions continue to offer both health and happiness for the aquarium inhabitants.
