
Pufferfish Builds Sand Sculpture for Mating
Clip: Season 42 Episode 2 | 2m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Male Japanese pufferfish build exquisite sand sculptures to attract a mate.
Male Japanese pufferfish build exquisite sand sculptures to attract a mate. When a female is not impressed with this male's creation, Spy Puffer steps in as the artist’s assistant.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Major support for NATURE is provided by The Arnhold Family in memory of Henry and Clarisse Arnhold, The Fairweather Foundation, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Charles Rosenblum, Kathy Chiao and...

Pufferfish Builds Sand Sculpture for Mating
Clip: Season 42 Episode 2 | 2m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Male Japanese pufferfish build exquisite sand sculptures to attract a mate. When a female is not impressed with this male's creation, Spy Puffer steps in as the artist’s assistant.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Nature
Nature is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Buy Now

Explore More Ways to Watch
Bring the beauty and wonders of wildlife and natural history into your home with classic NATURE episodes.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- [Narrator] Nothing compares to the true artist.
The female will decide.
Spy Puffer's creation is hardly worth a second look.
She's after a masterpiece.
But for this discerning art critic, there's still room for improvement, especially when some debris spoils the design.
A blemish easily dealt with by the male.
But it still needs some finishing touches, such as shells to decorate the ridges.
They're more than an artistic flourish.
They stabilize the ridges, slowing the water that might stir the center.
For this is where the female will lay her eggs, but the male has run out of shells and the female is losing interest.
Spy Puffer becomes the artist's assistant.
The finishing touch he needs.
All this striving for artistic perfection is a test of his fitness.
Satisfied with the aesthetic details, the female enters the nest.
They join together cheek to cheek.
Then quick as a flash, the eggs are laid and fertilized.
With a little help from Spy Puffer, the next generation of artists is on its way.
How Hermit Crabs Choose Their Shells
Video has Closed Captions
In the tropical paradise of Belize, the hermit crabs have a problem. (2m 54s)
Preview of Spy in the Ocean: Deep Thinkers
Video has Closed Captions
Spy creatures reveal an ocean full of startling ways of thinking. (30s)
Spy Octopus Helps Friend Hide From Shark
Video has Closed Captions
An unlikely ally helps a coconut octopus escape sharks. (3m 3s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Major support for NATURE is provided by The Arnhold Family in memory of Henry and Clarisse Arnhold, The Fairweather Foundation, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Charles Rosenblum, Kathy Chiao and...