Tennessee Aquarium names otter after ‘Sherlock’ actor

You don't need a Scotland Yard detective to make the connection between "Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch and Bennie, one of the seven otter stars of the Tennessee Aquarium's River Otter Falls exhibit opening Friday.

When the Chattanooga attraction launched a naming contest for six of the North American river otters, more than 600 suggestions poured in. Among them were several inspired by the handsome British actor whose otter-like facial features have been noted online since his show became a hit stateside on PBS.

Cumberbatch not only doesn’t deny the resemblance, he embraces it.

"It's the blessing of having a weird face," Cumberbatch told The Hollywood Reporter recently, "somewhere between an otter and something people find vaguely attractive."

The aquarium’s otter experts sifted through the suggestions submitted via its Facebook page or in its gift shops to match the names with the furry faces. Other selections include Hunter and Louie, named after the close-by Hunter Museum of American Art and the mascot of baseball’s Chattanooga Lookouts, respectively.

Bennie’s resemblance to Benedict is striking, and sure to cause countless phone cameras to click.

A spokesman said that the aquarium had not contacted Cumberbatch, but acknowledged the publicity potential.

Meanwhile, officials are touting the otter-worthiness of the exhibit. Its design recognizes that otters are land animals that happen to be excellent swimmers, so they’ve been given more “shoreline” to cavort along and digging pits in which to root. There also are more underwater views for guests to take in the diving displays of Bennie and his jet-like friends.