It's actually the male of the species that has a flair for creating beautiful, multi-purpose designs in the sand.
The pufferfish is only a few inches long, but the geometric circles it creates are nearly sixty feet in diameter!
The little guy swims tirelessly, day and night, creating these big circular sculptures using the movement of a single fin to ‘carve’ the flowing design in the sand. The more hills and valleys he can create, the better.
He does this for a couple of reasons, but the most important one is to find a mate. The female of the species likes hills and valleys in the sand and the more his design has, the better his chances are with the ladies. If she likes it, she swims through the furrows in the circle to find him.
After they mate, she lays her eggs in the center of the circle. The grooves in his design buffer the ocean currents and protect their fragile little offspring.
The Japanese pufferfish is probably the only fish that spends so much time on the design and creation of a home for his lady.
