❃ Pufferfish and boxfish are some of the ocean’s most unusually shaped swimmers, both belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes. Pufferfish are famous for rapidly inflating their bodies when threatened, while boxfish rely on a rigid, box-like shell formed from fused bony plates. Different strategies, same goal: making themselves a much more difficult meal for a hungry predator.
❃ A pufferfish inflates by quickly gulping water into its highly expandable stomach, transforming from an ordinary-looking fish into a much larger, rounder target. Many species also contain tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent toxin concentrated in certain tissues. Boxfish take a different approach, carrying their armor everywhere they go, with openings in the protective shell allowing their fins, eyes, mouth, and tail to move freely.
❃ Despite their awkward-looking shapes, these fish can maneuver through reefs with remarkable precision using coordinated movements of their relatively small fins. Boxfish are even thought to have inspired studies of hydrodynamics and unusual body shapes, while the pufferfish’s extraordinary defenses have fascinated scientists for generations. Inflatable or armored, these quirky fish prove there’s more than one clever way to survive beneath the waves.