Mystery Circle-a love story in the Deep Sea
In fact, the oceans covering 70 percent of Earth are the most mysterious parts of our planet. However, humans haven’t even seen 95 percent of what lies underwater. In other words, people have better knowledge about the surface of Mars than of the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile, freelance underwater photographer Yoji Ookata spotted something he has never seen. Neither have most of us. It was a geometric, circular structure measuring roughly 6.5 ft in diameter, precisely carved from sand on the seabed. In particular, it consisted of multiple ridges, symmetrically jutting out from the center, and appeared to be the work of an underwater artist, carefully working with tools.

However, underwater cameras showed that the artist was a small puffer fish who, using only his flapping fin, tirelessly worked day and night to carve the circular ridges. The unlikely artist – best known in Japan as a delicacy, albeit a potentially poisonous one – even takes small shells, cracks them, and lines the inner grooves of his sculpture as if decorating his piece.

In addition, further observation revealed that this “mysterious circle” was not just there to make the ocean floor look pretty. Attracted by the grooves and ridges, female puffer fish would find their way along the dark seabed to the male puffer fish where they would mate and lay eggs in the center of the circle. In fact, the scientists observed that the more ridges the circle contained, the more likely it was that the female would mate with the male. Besides, the little sea shells weren’t just in vain either. The observers believe that they serve as vital nutrients to the eggs as they hatch, and to the newborns.

But what was even more fascinating – the fish’s sculpture played another role. Through experiments back at their lab, the scientists showed that the grooves and ridges of the sculpture helped neutralize currents, protecting the eggs from being tossed around and potentially exposing them to predators.

Mystery Circle-a love story in the Deep Sea

source
thisiscolossal.com