It may never serve as the mascot for a football team, but the longhorn boxfish still grabs your attention, because two pairs of horns extend from its body. One pair extends from the top of its head, although the horns go forward instead of sideways like those of the well-known cattle. And the other extends backwards from the bottom of its box-like body.
But there are more intriguing things about the longhorn boxfish than its horns: the way it feeds, its tough skin, and the deadly toxin it produces to ward off predators.
Dads always build the best sand castles — at least when it comes to the white-spotted pufferfish. Males of this recently discovered species build exquisite, circular sand nests on the ocean floor, not only for their offspring, but also for the many female mates they hope to attract. The more tempting his large nest is, the more females he can attract for spawning. And he’s more than willing to take responsibility for his playboy lifestyle by taking over parenting duties as well.
