Half-blind fish gets fake eye to stop being bullied

A HALF-BLIND fish is finally off the hook with his bullying brethren. After being tormented over its missing eye, it got a fake one. Watch here.

Supplied Editorial FISH

A HALF-BLIND fish is finally off the hook with his bullying brethren.

A copper rockfish that had been tormented by other fish because of its missing eye was given a prosthetic one at the Vancouver Aquarium in Canada, The New York Postreports.

“Before the prosthetic, he was being hurt and quite uncomfortable because he was picked on,” said aquarium head veterinarian Dr Martin Haulena.

Under the knife ... this is the first time Vancouver Aquarium has done this type of surgery. Picture: Vancouver Aquarium/YouTube

The poor fish had an eye removed two years ago because of cataracts that wouldn’t heal. It remained at the bottom of a 69,000-litre tank and began losing its scales.

“What’s been observed with fish that are missing an eye is other fish take advantage of that … they kind of go to that blind side, steal food and pick on [them],” Dr Haulena said.

“It’s a well-known thing that there is natural aggression as different species kind of vie for the best space and habitat they’re in, so that kind of aggression is very, very normal.”

Taxidermy eye ... the rockfish underwent eye surgery to stop the relentless bullying. Picture: Vancouver Aquarium/YouTube

So the bullied fish received the taxidermy eye in the first surgery of its type at the aquarium.

“Ever since we put in the prosthetic, the fish is right back in the mid-water column, interacting with other fish,” Dr Haulena said.

This story originally appeared in The New York Post.