Wed Jan 22 08:05:07 UTC 2025: ## Lonely Sunfish Gets Cardboard Companions at Japanese Aquarium
**Shimonoseki, Japan** – A sunfish at Japan’s Kaikyokan Aquarium, suffering from apparent loneliness during the facility’s renovation closure, has been given a unique therapy: cardboard cutouts of visitors.
The aquarium, closed since December 2024, noticed their sunfish exhibiting unusual behavior including refusing food and rubbing against the tank. Initial concerns about illness were dismissed after staff hypothesized the fish might be lonely without its usual human observers.
In a heartwarming attempt to alleviate the sunfish’s apparent distress, staff devised a creative solution: They crafted cardboard cutouts of aquarium visitors and placed them around the tank. They also hung up staff uniforms. The strategy proved surprisingly effective.
“The next day, the sunfish felt better!” the aquarium announced on X, formerly Twitter. The fish has reportedly resumed normal eating habits and is now actively swimming and interacting with its temporary companions.
This isn’t the first time a Japanese aquarium has employed unconventional methods to boost the morale of its inhabitants. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, Tokyo’s Sumida Aquarium used video calls to engage its spotted garden eels.
The success of the Kaikyokan Aquarium’s cardboard cutouts highlights the surprising social needs and sensitivity of even the most unusual creatures, proving that sometimes, even a sunfish just needs a little company.
First Piper 