By MASATOSHI KASAHARA/ Staff Writer
December 29, 2019 at 16:30 JST
SHIMANTO, Kochi Prefecture--An auspicious "golden" catfish has been on display at the Shimanto Gakuyukan aquarium since Dec. 28 that staff at the facility say that praying to might bring good luck and improve one's fortune.
A red torii gate and a box for monetary offerings have been placed in front of the tank along with sake and rice cakes that are normally displayed at shrines for the new year.
The catfish will only be on display until Jan. 13 because undue stress leads the fish to change its color back to the brownish hue normally associated with catfish.
The catfish is an "iwatokonamazu," or Silurus lithophilus, found in the waters of Lake Biwako and Lake Yogoko in Shiga Prefecture that mutated into a yellow color.
The Shimanto Gakuyukan received the catfish from the Kyoto Aquarium in summer 2014.
At first, the catfish was about 25 centimeters long and only slightly yellow. But at a sizable 55 cm now, the fish has taken on a brilliant golden color.
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The "golden" catfish on display at the Shimanto Gakuyukan aquarium in Kochi Prefecture (Masatoshi Kasahara)
