This porcupine puffer refused to abandon its dying kin

When we first saw this video, we had no idea what those crazy Japanese divers were looking at. Once the subject of the filming became clear, our eyes could not believe what this porcupine pufferfish was doing. Pictured in the video are two porcupine pufferfish,Diodon holocanthus,one in seemingly great health and the other clearly taking its last few breaths of this life. We wouldn’t go so far as to say that the healthy porcupinefish is comforting the dying one, but to our eyes the healthyDiodonseems to beawareof what is happening to the other one.

豪猪喷雾剂已经见过schooling,especially as juveniles, but as far as we know they don’t form long term pair bonds and we imagine that the healthy porcupinefish in this video just came across the ailing one. The mechanics of schooling fish and flocking birds are well studied and nowhere in the rules of schooling and flocking does “compassionate” behavior come in. It pulls at our heartstrings to think of what was going through the mind of this healthy porcupinefish as it first got sight of what was happening to the porcupinefish on its side.

schooling-porcupinefish — Schooling porcupine puffers, image by FlickR user oceanic2007

如果性选择的重点选择a healthy mate, then surely almost all animals should be able to discern when one of our kind is in poor health, and especially in critical condition.With its darkened coloration, labored breathing, poor motor coordination and damaged eye it is clear that the larger porcupinefish died some time after this video was made. But why would this healthy porcupinefish stop its daily routine and foraging activities to “accompany” or investigate the dying pufferfish?

While showing no aggression towards the dying pufferfish, in only one instance the healthy porcupine puffer uses its tail to flick a jet of water towards the dying one. Was this an attempt to “wake it up” and alert it to all the diver-predators nearby who could be of harm? We hate to anthropomorphize either of these porcupine pufferfish individuals but we can’t help but think that the dyingDiodonfelt some comfort in having one of its kind nearby and that the healthy porcupinefish felt some concern for its dying kin. Do you agree or disagree?

[facebook]

Jake Adams

Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.