This footage shows an overweight 'merman' performing at a giant aquarium and wiggling his fat belly for a fascinated crowd.
The swimmer was filmed performing at Sunac Ocean World in Jinan, China, with the images shared on Douyin, which is what TikTok is called in China, on 19th April.
The footage shows the male entertainer in a merman costume swimming with fish in the aquarium, with the footage reportedly notching up millions of views after being shared online.
Speaking later to local media, the entertainer, named as Wang Zezhou, 27, said: "After a tourist posted our performance on a short video platform yesterday, my coworker and I received a lot of attention.
"I feel a little flattered."
Chubby mermaid performs in Sunac Ocean World in Jinan, China, undated. The video 1 was shared on Douyin - the Chinese version of TikTok on April 19, 2025 and the video 2 on April 21, 2025. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (AsiaWire/NX)
He said that he used to be a diving instructor before beginning work at the aquarium full-time two years ago as a keeper.
He has been performing as a merman for nearly six months, saying: "My colleague, another 'fat mermaid' and I, each perform three to four shows a day on average, and each show lasts about 10 minutes.
"For people of our size, the buoyancy and resistance after entering the water are much greater than that of a normal-sized 'mermaid', and the physical consumption is huge."
Many netizens mocked the "fat mermaid" but others praised him for fighting stereotypes that all mermaid should be "white, young and thin".
Chubby mermaid performs in Sunac Ocean World in Jinan, China, undated. The video 1 was shared on Douyin - the Chinese version of TikTok on April 19, 2025 and the video 2 on April 21, 2025. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (AsiaWire/NX)
Some netizens joked that "swimming does not appear to help you lose weight."
But the performer took it in his stride, saying: "Many audiences laughed when they saw us enter, which allowed everyone to relax in their stressful work and life. This may be the spirit of entertainment."
(Joseph Golder/newsX)