Monsters of Science: Why do a blowfish draw a mandala?

Today, we’re going under the ocean, to meet Torquigener albomaculosus. Does this name mean anything to you? You may know it better as a blowfish, that funny animal that swells and swings with a little tingling when attacked. But did you know that sculpting is one of his greatest interests in life? The blowfish is indeed the author of wonderful underwater works of amazing symmetry, evoking the mandala made up of Sable And seashell.

« But why an artistic career? You will ask us. To find out, you’ll have to dive into this new episode of Monsters of science.

Bêtes de Science, Animal Intelligence Podcast

You don’t have to be a lover of cute cats to agree to thisIntelligence Animal is a vast field as wonderful and unknown. Take, for example, did you know that The elephants Are able to differentiate between human languages? One bird He can remember Hundreds of stashes of its seeds ? Or those dung beetles Use the Milky Way for orientation ? Not that stupid, animals! If these fun facts tickle you nervous cellsWait no more: Explore Episode 1 of Monsters of science, Podcast based on The Chronicle of Natalie MeyerAnd Mary read it from the YouTube channel Curiosity Box. During these issues, we will venture to go to the four corners of the world to meet all kinds of amazing animals and their most interesting behaviors.

Embark on this new adventure!

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you welcome in Monsters of science, The new Futura podcast that gives pride of place to animals. I’m Mary and in this new episode, we’ll be interested in a Poisson Not like the others.

The Torquigener albomaculosusIt’s a type of tetrodon. Funny name, it is the name of an amazing fish that lives off the coast of Japan. It’s a puffer fish, you know the one that puffs up like balloons to escape predators. He is from the same group as the celebrity Fujo Which the Japanese love to put on their dishes when they can release a deadly neurotoxin: tetraxen.

But back to our tetrodon. You want a fish? Yes, but you want … an artist! Because what interests us today are the drawings that he makes at the bottom of the water. Real mandala Submarines It is achieved by swimming to the side, and especially by wriggling a lot. To create these masterpieces, this charming little fish uses sand Colors Based on Textures Different, not forgetting to add, here and there, a few small shells that he had previously crushed to turn them into crumbs. Because the details matter!

To get a good idea of ​​it, think about Crop circlesThese gigantic farming circles are drawn in fields Grain. Although some attribute them to aliens, it turns out that these geometric shapes are often made for artistic, sometimes even … for advertising purposes. Advertising is also the goal of our puffer fish Torquigener albomaculosus. But rest assured, the story is a lot more romantic than that!

Instead of attracting customers with its designs, what blowfish is hoping to seduce is its beauty. That is why he does not skimp on the means: Underwater bas-reliefs can reach more than two meters in diameter. Imagine, for a small fish that is less than twelve centimeters in length, it’s not a thing anyway! It’s part of his life’s business, plus he can devote up to nine full days to it. But when you love, it doesn’t count: focus on your work to make sure you make a big splash!

There, this is when you might be wondering how researchers figured out all of this. Simply because they were able to see tetrodons in action during the monitoring mission. Can you imagine being underwater watching a show like this? Divers say that once the mission is done, Madame comes to stroll over Crop circles sir. Wandering around multiple times and examining the minutest details, like a true art critic! If the work pleases her, she accepts her servant’s advancement. But the story does not end here. Because it is also in the midst of these sand circles that it will lay its eggs, leave it for the artist to fertilize and then nurture it for a few days. When they hatch, the young fish will be able to freely feed on the fragments of the shell deposited there by their parent. A work that therefore combines useful and pleasure!

If you thought a female blowfish is only attracted to mechanical pulleys, think again. Because even if the researchers still do not know the exact criteria to base their selection on, they believe it places special emphasis on the fine sand that forms the center of the circles and the efficiency with which the sculptures will be able to slow down circulation. Of water around her eggs. What prevents them from being dispersed before they are fertilized, and they live peacefully in the hollow of the sand. In the end, the hero of this episode is not only an artist. He is also an architect and engineer who is able to protect his offspring.

It even seems to create professions, since August 2020, researchers have brought underwater mandalas of a new type from Australia. So, not that stupid, tetrodon!

Thanks for watching this episode from Monsters of science. You can find the original record for Natalie Meyer On Futura and all our episodes on Apple Podcast, Castbox, Spotify, Deezer and many more. Remember to subscribe so you never miss a single episode, and leave us a comment and five stars On distribution platforms. We see you two weeks later for a new episode dedicated to the coolest animal behavior. Bye !

Music :

Silly introduction And the Freedom Equal Alexander Nakarada

Sugar fairies By Raphael Crooks

Flashback dreamy Par Kevin Macleod

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Sound effects : BBC