GIF Image: PBS. Gif via Gizmodo
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 honor of World Oceans Day, we’re celebrating the indefatigable pufferfish and its bizarre sexual habits.
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 percent,” the show’s narrator explains.
GIF Image: PBS. Gif via GizmodoAfter days of tirelessly preparing the bang pad, the puffer’s mate will enter the middle of the circle, signaling 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:
Big Pacific premieres June 21, 8 pm EST on PBS.