Finally the tiny creator of these elaborate designs was discovered! It is a newly discovered species of pufferfish! These amazing little fish create the circles by laboriously flapping their fins as they swim along the seafloor, resulting in disrupted sediment and amazing circular patterns. It is the males of the species who create these ornate ‘artworks’ to attract mates.
Although the fish are only 5 inches long, the circles they create are 7 feet in diameter! The females come to inspect the circles and if they like what they see, they will mate with its creator. The circles also provide protection for the fish while they mate and lay their eggs.
Scientists have not yet figured out exactly what the female pufferfish are looking for in a design, and which traits they find attractive and which ones are undesirable. Females lay their eggs in the center of a circle and then leave. The male fertilize them and hang around to guard them for another six days.
