Creative Solution: Aquarium Provides Sunshine to Lonely Sunfish with Cardboard Friends

The Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Japan, took an innovative step by introducing cardboard cutouts of humans to comfort a lonely sunfish during renovations, successfully improving its health and spirits.

In an extraordinary effort to lift the spirits of a sunfish suffering from loneliness, the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, employed an unorthodox remedy— cardboard cutouts of human faces adorned with uniforms. The initiative aimed to address health issues the sunfish experienced during the temporary closure of the aquarium for renovations, as reported on the aquarium's social media.

Following the December closure, the sociable sunfish ceased consuming its usual diet of jellyfish and began rubbing against the tank walls. While staff members initially suspected parasitic infections or digestive problems, one insightful employee proposed the notion that the fish was feeling solitary without its regular stream of visitors. Upon implementing the cardboard figures, the aquarium reported a significant improvement in the fish's well-being, noting that it resumed a healthier behavior pattern soon after.

This sunfish, measuring 80 cm in length and weighing around 30 kg, arrived at the aquarium one year ago and was noted for its curious nature of approaching visitors at the tank. According to Mai Kato, a staff member, the addition of the cutouts seemed to rejuvenate the sunfish, which began to exhibit more lively behaviors, such as playfully waving its fins.

The aquarium's creative strategy received an overwhelming positive response on social media, with users sharing fond memories of the sunfish captured during past visits and pledging to return after the aquarium's reopening.

This isn't the first innovative solution from Japanese aquariums facing similar challenges. During the pandemic, when many animals exhibited signs of distress due to the absence of visitors, a Tokyo aquarium organized a makeshift video call event to reconnect its eels with humans, showcasing the adaptability of facilities committed to animal welfare.