Pufferfish Have Some Very Intricate Sex Rituals

Pufferfish Have Some Very Intricate Sex Rituals

Many animals’ mating rituals can be pretty elaborate, and some are borderline disturbing. For pufferfish, the lead up is so stupidly intricate that it’s exhausting and just kind of sad. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be appreciated, so today, in honour of World Oceans Day, we’re celebrating the indefatigable pufferfish and its bizarre sexual habits.

Image: PBS. Gif via Gizmodo

Our source is a new clip from PBS’ upcoming nature documentary series, Big Pacific. As the show’s title suggests, our world’s largest ocean is brimming with miraculous creatures, and the white-spotted puffer (Arothron hispidus) is no exception. In the footage, a male pufferfish spends nearly a week preparing a sand art love nest for his mate. It’s kind of like a crop circle, but for boning.

“In an engineering triumph, these sand circles reduce the apparent current by almost 25 per cent,” the show’s narrator explains.

Pufferfish Have Some Very Intricate Sex Rituals
Image: PBS. Gif via Gizmodo

Image: PBS. Gif via Gizmodo

After days of tirelessly preparing the bang pad, the puffer’s mate will enter the middle of the circle, signalling her approval. That’s when the unfortunate sexing begins: It looks like a bite on the cheek that lasts about four seconds. LOL.

The lady puffer ghosts her lover almost immediately after the sex. “She deposits her eggs, and then she’s gone,” the narrator says. Ice cold.

You can — and should — watch the entire clip below:


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