It took Americans a while to get used to the idea of eating raw fish. Raw meat has germs that can make us puke (or worse). We wash our hands after handling chicken and I’m not sure there are many of us who would take a bit out of a bloody steak. (football players aside).
But we are enjoying sushi, now. Dead fish aren’t as frightening as dead birds and mammals.
But live fish seems to be taking it another level. They must serve it in a fish bowl or maybe a fish tank for larger species. Very retro (back to our prefire days).