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© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Sunfish that began ailing after aquarium's closure recovers after human cutouts set up outside tank
By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
25 Comments
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Toshihiro
wow, I never knew that Sunfish enjoyed interaction. I wonder how would they fair in the wild? It's a vast ocean out there and interactions are probably rare and potentially deadly for a sunfish. Again, an interesting article, thanks JT.
WoodyLee
Yes and kudos to staff and the vet who overseen this event, yesterday I read about this unbelievable story on MSN news and though to my self this is as good as it gets, Love makes the world go around they say.
zulander
the crazy sounding idea that worked
Fascinating that interaction would affect them so
GuruMick
Big fish dont belong in aquariums
WA4TKG
That’s incredible
Speed
This is great news but it could also be coincidental timing. But I do believe many animals feel loneliness and we humans just don't usually notice.
I put cutouts of my friends and famous people in my room and I feel a whole lot better.
stormcrow
Years ago I visited the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. I was by myself and it was a weekday morning so there was almost nobody there. I went into one darkened room and there was a bland looking tank with a bored looking porpoise in it. It looked like it was daydreaming so it didn’t notice me. I looked around me to be sure no one was watching me and tapped on the glass. It immediately looked over at me and swam over to me. It seemed quite thrilled to see me. With just a few centimeters of glass between us, I stood there for a few minutes with this friendly creature before saying goodbye to it.
Seigi
Bless you dear sunfish. Loneliness is a terrible thing.
GuruMick
Stormcrow....come on...there has got to be more to your story.
Did you correspond, or become pen pals with the dolphin ?
tora
Just goes to show that it pays to put forward even the most preposterous ideas in meetings and that they can sometimes serve a useful purpose after all.
stormcrow
GuruMick
I wish there was more to the story that, but I was just killing time there for a short time. Needless to say, it was a rather mystical encounter (for me anyway) because there I was in the middle of Chicago sharing a moment with this unique and intelligent sea creature which (dare I say it) had so much personality. It was completely unplanned and unexpected yet such a memorable experience.
GuruMick
Stormy...on topic but a little off topic....a woman dolphin researcher ....reseacher female I mean.... in the Carribean observed dolphins in the way scientists do....but there was one male dolphin she "worked with " who enjoyed a little "relief " before serious science and observations could begin.
True story.
factchecker
Cardboard cut outs are better than actual people bashing on the glass.
iron man
GM; I think you nailed it, sunfish put in solitary and fed the same porridge everyday, where is the netflix?. All praise to the carers tho' for fixing it temporarily, whilst recognizing how confinement affects wild animals.
MiuraAnjin
I'm sure this sunfish was doing just fine with it's buddies in the Pacific, off the coast of Kochi, before it was yanked out of the sea and imprisoned last February.
GuruMick
Free the Sunfish !
I am starting a "go fund me " page tonight , or tomorrow, or later when the sake wears off.
Sunny....I feel your pain....and I secretly love you.
Zaphod
I am sceptical about the story. Fish wanting to look at humans? Since when? Sounds more like publicity stunt.
Zaphod
GuruMick
True story. But Dolphins are mammals, and pretty darn intelligent ones. Human-dolphin relationships are a thing, but FISH? Come one.
wanderlust
Too many zoos, aquaria and other places where creatures are kept seem to place them alone, with no similar species, mates, children or any form of companionship. Takao 599 museum has dozens of solitary insects in transparent boxes, Kannonzaki Nature museum has larger fish, sea creatures in tanks alone and even solitary turtles on the floor in washing up bowls! So sad to see.
Brian Wheway
Another way to keep the sun fish happy would be to video tape a crowd of people slowly moving at a theme park waiting to get on a ride, this would simulate a slow moving crowd at the aquarium, this could be played back on a wide screen tv in front of the viewing glass,
GuruMick
Zaphod..."a publicity stunt " ?...Is Sunny in on the scam ?
She is not that type of fish.
As honest as the day is long is Sunny
Five Families
Interesting. Thats a big manic fish. I have a Mantis Shrip named Mike Tyson.
Mike is highly intelligent. Mike will exhibit complex social behaviour, with ritualised fighting and protective activities. With a great capacity to learn and retain knowledge, Mike can recognise and interact with other shrimp. Then pounds them and devours them. Crabs as well.
Marine life never ceases to amaze me.
Zaphod
GuruMick
Sunny is a fish. The story is told by humans.
GuruMick
Sunny may be a "fish " to you, but she is very important to me.
GuruMick
And Sunny hates Trump .