When the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Japan, closed for renovations in December 2024, the staff noticed something unexpected: their resident ocean sunfish seemed upset. Without the usual crowds of visitors, the fish stopped eating jellyfish and started rubbing against its tank, which worried the team.

At first, they considered health issues like parasites or digestion problems, but one staff member suggested a different possibility: Could the sunfish be lonely without people around? Though they were skeptical, the team decided to give it a try. They set up cardboard cutouts of visitors, dressed in staff uniforms, around the tank to mimic the presence of onlookers.

Surprisingly, the sunfish responded positively. The next day, it was swimming actively and waving its fins as if greeting the "fake" visitors. It seemed that the comforting presence of the cutouts had eased the fish's anxiety.

The aquarium posted about the success on X, sharing how the sunfish was once again healthy and more active. This creative solution not only brought the fish back to good health but also demonstrated how aquariums are finding innovative ways to care for their animals.

This isn't the first time Japanese aquariums have gotten creative to keep their residents happy. During the 2020 COVID lockdown, Tokyo's Sumida Aquarium used FaceTime to interact with spotted garden eels, encouraging them to come out of hiding.