Teaching overview

Learning points

  • The male puffer fish uses his fins to create patterns in soft sand, which he decorates with seashells.
  • The puffer fish works on his pattern for a whole week.
  • The male puffer fish creates these designs in order to attract a female puffer fish.

Curriculum keywords

  • Courtship Displays
  • Fish
  • Reproduction

Spark a discussion

  • Why does the male puffer fish create patterns in the sand?
  • Scientists only discovered in 2013 that the amazing patterns on the ocean floor are created by the puffer fish! What explanations do you think people had for the patterns before then?
  • Can you think of any other animals that create patterns? Why do you think they do it?

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia

  • Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
  • Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
  • Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning