"Maybe It Became Lonely" — Aquarium Staff In Japan Comforts Sunfish With Smiley Cutouts
'Tank'-fully, it worked.
By Celine Low — 21 Jan 2025, 06:01 PM
A lonely ocean sunfish has found an unusual cure for its blues: cardboard cutouts and friendly waves
The ocean sunfish, a resident at Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Japan, became unwell when the aquarium underwent renovations in December last year.
The Japanese aquarium posted a photo on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on 3 January, showing the sunfish named Mambo swimming in its tank, surrounded by cutouts of smiling faces and staff uniforms on hangers stuck to the glass.
The heartwarming but hilarious post has gone viral, receiving more than 12.5 million views and comments.
During the renovations, Mambo seemingly began to lose its appetite and stopped eating its jellyfish meals
The sunfish, a naturally curious creature, was popular among visitors and would swim up to them whenever they approached the tank.
According to Mainichi Shimbun, Mambo began rubbing its body against the acrylic tank, leading to suspicions of digestive issues or parasites. However, a staff member proposed that the fish may have become lonely due to the sudden absence of visitors.
To test this theory, the staff decorated the tank with employee uniforms and photos of people's faces, even waving at the fish to cheer it up. The next day, Mambo's condition (and even mood) improved.
Here's a look at what Mambo is looking at from its tank:
The aquarium is scheduled to reopen in mid-2025 and netizens are excited to pay Mambo a visit
"I'll come and see him when he reopens," one user declared, while another offered words of encouragement: "Everyone is watching him, sunfish!"
Many expressed sympathy and amusement at its unusual cure for loneliness. "The reason for his poor health is cute," one commenter remarked, while another shared their own experience with the friendly fish, writing "Every time I went, the sunfish would always come over to me when I stood in front of the tank, so it's no surprise!"
