Samurai fish gazes at the sky

With their gleaming bodies, large eyes, and sharp teeth, they gaze up into the sky, aiming for their prey.

Its appearance tells us that it is a sea hunter.

They swim gracefully, rippling their dorsal fins, and sometimes form large schools, keeping a silent watch in search of prey.

Largehead hairtail

Distribution: Temperate to tropical coastal areas

This carnivorous fish can grow to over 100cm in length and lives at depths of up to 350m. Adult fish often feed on anchovies and shrimp, capturing their prey with their large, sharp, barbed canines.

Until the hairtail arrives at the aquarium

1. Fishing and collecting

We collect them by fishing in Tokyo Bay and Suruga Bay. We usually crush the barb on the fishing hook so that the mouth is not injured when we catch it. Hairtails have no scales and are very delicate and easily damaged, so we store them in large, deep containers while being careful not to touch their bodies at all.

② Transporting live fish using a live fish cart

Once 20-30 fish have been collected in the container, the boat returns to the port while closely observing the fish. When the fish are pulled up, the change in water pressure causes their swim bladder to expand, making it difficult for them to swim. In such cases, the air inside the swim bladder is released using a special needle. After that, the fish are transferred one by one to the aquarium's live fish cart using a special plastic dip net.

③ Carrying the exhibit into the tank

During transport, medicine is sometimes dissolved in the seawater to prevent the entry of pathogens through small wounds on the hairtail fish's bodies. This is why the water inside the live fish cart is yellow. The staff then enter the live fish cart in wetsuits, carefully pick up each fish using a special dip net, and transfer them to another container. They are then taken by elevator to the roof of the building where the aquarium is located, where they can be safely transported inside.

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