Japan aquarium uses human cutouts to cheer up solitary fish: ‘He’s lonely without visitors'

Japanese aquarium staff used cut-out human companions to cheer up a lonely sunfish, leading to improved health.

The staff at an aquarium in Japan faced a unique problem with their fishes and came up with a bizarre solution for it. The aquarium staff at the Kaikyokan noticed that their solitary sunfish had started to look sick and came to the conclusion that the fish felt lonely.

The sunfish started getting sick and stopped eating so the aquarium staff stuck human cutouts to its tank to keep it company.(X/@shimonoseki_aq)

Unable to keep it company at all times, they began using cut-out human companions for the fish. The staff said that the fish looked unwell after the aquarium closed for refurbishment in December.

The animal suddenly stopped eating and started rubbing its body against the side of the tank. They feared the sunfish was suffering from parasites or digestive problems.

‘Lonely’ fish became sick

But soon they realised that the problem might be the absence of visitors as well as the noise and vibrations made by the construction work. They determined that the fish was unable to adapt to the loud sounds and sudden loneliness.

To test their theory, they taped large photos of human faces attached to a row of uniforms on the side of the tank. Days later, the fish regained its appetite and looked generally more content.

“It may have become lonely due to the sudden absence of visitors, which could have contributed to its health issues,” an aquarium expert told local media.

The sunfish had become one of the most popular attractions at the aquarium thanks to its friendly nature. “It’s curious and would swim up to visitors when they approached the tank,” Mai Kato, a member of staff, said.

A post about the sunfish on the aquarium’s X account has attracted more than 12.7 million views.

"He was feeling a little unwell right after the closure. We didn't know the cause and tried various things to deal with it, but one of the staff members said, "Maybe he's lonely without the visitors?" We were 99% sure that couldn't be the case, but we stuck up some staff uniforms as a last resort. And then...the next day, it felt better!" the post read.

Video calls for eels

This is not the first time a Japanese aquarium has taken unusual steps to ensure its animals have human company.

In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, staff at Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo said its garden eels were disappearing beneath the sand after they forgot what humans looked like. In response, it set up tablets facing the tank and asked users to make calming video calls to the eels on the FaceTime app. “Here is an urgent request,” the aquarium wrote. “Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?” it said.