The solitary sunfish perked up after staff at the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, resorted to an unusual tactic during renovation work. (Video by Ryo Ikeda)

Photo/Illutration From the right, the sunfish swims close to staff uniforms and human face images representing aquarium visitors on Jan. 19 at Kaikyokan in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. (Ryo Ikeda)

SHIMONOSEKI, Yamaguchi Prefecture--A sociable ocean sunfish that clearly missed its human audience and fell sick during renovations perked up after officials set up human cutouts at its aquarium here.

The solitary sunfish, whose sex and age have yet to be determined, started showing signs of distress and weight loss in December. It refused to consume jellyfish, its favorite food, and began rubbing its head against the transparent acrylic tank.

Kaikyokan shut down for renovation work at the end of last year that will continue through summer. The anomaly was reported shortly after visitors stopped coming.

Pondering the cause, aquarium staff members and a veterinarian at the Kaikyokan aquarium suggested the 80-centimeter-long fish may feel “isolated now that visitors have abruptly ceased to show up.”

With some staffers still skeptical about “such a wacky reason,” Moe Miyazawa, 27, the sunfish’s handler, quickly swung into action to re-energize the beloved creature.

Miyazawa was well aware of the sunfish’s friendly nature. As soon as it arrived at Kaikyokan from waters off Kochi Prefecture in February last year, the fish began displaying an interest in humans.

It moved its eyes whenever visitors came close to the tank and would swim toward people peering into the tank.

Miyazawa felt confident the fish has a “friendly personality.”

Kenta Tamai, 43, the curator at the aquarium’s fish display department, agreed, having noticed it “looks around more frequently than ordinary sunfish” he had cared for before.

A week after Kaikyokan’s closure, Miyazawa set up facial cutouts with aquarium staff uniforms to the outside of the 3.6-meter-long, 2.7-meter-deep tank. The idea was to get the sunfish to believe people were peering into the tank.

The strategy proved effective in no time. The sunfish started eating jellyfish the day after the “visitor” images were put up.

It also gradually stopped rubbing its head against the tank.

As its behavioral pattern returned to “normal,” the sunfish steadily regained weight.

Afterward, Kaikyokan posted a photo of the sunfish, along with an explanation, on X, that had attracted 14 million views by Feb. 5. The aquarium’s account on the social media site received comments from X users.

“It must have felt lonely,” said one user. “I am looking forward to seeing the sunfish again after the planned reopening.”

Watching the result, Miyazawa, as well as other staff members, said they are relieved for now.

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