The Creative Way the Pufferfish Attracts a Mate

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Written by Jennifer Geer

Published: January 8, 2025

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puffer fish underwater close up ocean scenery pufferfish
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The more we learn about the animals we share the planet with, the more we realize how fascinating their behavior can be. In 1995, divers off the coast of Japan discovered intricate crop circles carefully created on the seabed floor. Some were more than six feet wide and adorned with seashells. It was obvious these works of art were deliberately made, but the divers had no idea where they came from. The designs were found 80 feet deep, making them unlikely to have been made by a human.

However, when the divers returned to continue examining the structures, they found a small fish working hard on creating the sand designs. You can watch the video above from Nature on PBS to see how it’s done. It’s the elaborate way a male pufferfish attracts a mate.

Yellowspotted pufferfish - Torquigener flavimaculosus from Cyprus

Male pufferfish off the coast of Japan build intricate nests in the sand to attract females.

How the Male Pufferfish Attracts a Mate

In the world of animals, it can be hard to be a male looking for a mate. Some animals, such as lions, need beautiful, full manes to attract females. Others, like the bower bird, build elaborate nests, and the peacock spider performs a showy dance to attract its mate. But, the white-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener albomaculosus) has perhaps one of the hardest courtship rituals of all.

When a male pufferfish decides it’s time to mate, he begins to build an elaborate sand structure on the ocean floor. Although the male fish are only about four inches long, they trace circles in the sand with up to six- or seven-foot diameters. From there, the little fish wiggle through the seabed floor creating patterns throughout the circle. The finished product is a circle with fine sand in the middle covered with lines, and lined with ridges around the diameter. The whole process can take a week or more, and the finishing touches involve decorating with sea shells and dead coral.

Finally, when the structure is complete, a female swims over to survey the work. If she approves, the two will mate and the center of the circle becomes a nest for their eggs. However, the female pufferfish may remain unimpressed by the male’s artwork, and if it’s not up to her standards, she swims away. Scientists have no idea exactly what it is the females are looking for and what makes one circle worthy and another one not.

It’s More Than Just a Pretty Piece of Artwork

The circular patterns in the sand are beautiful when viewed from above. However, it’s more than just a pretty piece of art for the fish. The lines and ridges direct oxygen-rich water towards the center of the nest regardless of how the current flows. This creates an ideal environment for egg development and newly hatched pufferfish.

The Pufferfish Never Uses the Same Nest Twice

Once the male has successfully attracted his mate and the pair have laid eggs that hatch into baby pufferfish, his job is done. He then moves on to creating his next pattern in the sand. The male pufferfish doesn’t reuse the nest. It will disintegrate over time as the currents slowly erase it from the seabed floor, and the male moves on and starts his hard work once again.


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About the Author

Jennifer Geer

Jennifer Geer is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is on animals, news topics, travel, and weather. Jennifer holds a Master's Degree from the University of Tulsa, and she has been researching and writing about news topics and animals for over four years. A resident of Illinois, Jennifer enjoys hiking, gardening, and caring for her three pugs.

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