The remarkable and poignant story of Bubba, a giant grouper who captured the hearts of millions, has come to a close. The Shedd Aquarium confirmed that the beloved fish passed away in August 2006, leaving behind a legacy that stretched far beyond her home in the coral exhibit.

Bubba’s tale began in 1987, when an anonymous donor left a sloshing bucket at the aquarium’s reception desk with a note attached, asking for a good home for the fish inside. Staff discovered a small, 10-inch grouper, a member of the endangered Queensland grouper species. They named her Bubba, nursed her back to health, and moved her into the coral fish exhibit.

Over the years, the “super grouper” swelled to an incredible 4.5 feet and 150 pounds, a favorite of visitors who marveled at her mysterious origin story. In a rare biological occurrence for her species, Bubba, a protogynous hermaphrodite, changed her sex to male in the mid-1990s.

Bubba’s most profound moment came in 2001, when she was diagnosed with an unusual growth on her forehead. In a groundbreaking decision, the Shedd Aquarium’s veterinary team decided to administer chemotherapy—a first for a fish. The treatment was successful, and her inspirational story of fighting cancer made her an icon, particularly for children and human cancer survivors who followed her journey.

“Bubba overcame some incredible odds over the years, and that’s what made her so special to us,” said George Parsons, the director of the Shedd’s fish department at the time. “Every once in a while for the last three years we have been getting phone calls from kids with cancer or from their parents, wondering how she is doing.”

Although Bubba’s journey has ended, her story lives on as a testament to the compassionate care of her handlers and the incredible will to survive. Her body was later donated to the Field Museum in Chicago, ensuring that her legacy as a medical pioneer and a symbol of resilience will continue to be studied by future generations.