''Torquigener albomaculosus'', or the white-spotted pufferfish, is the 20th discovered species of the genus '' Torquigener''. The species was discovered in the ocean waters around the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

off the south coast of

Amami Ōshima , also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands. The island, 712.35 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 73,000 people. Administratively it is d ...

Island. Observed depths of the species range between . The fish's head and body are colored brown with white spots at the back. Its abdomen is silvery-white with white spots. The males are known for creating circular nests as part of their mating ritual in the sand, measuring in diameter. Such nest designs were noticed since 1995, but their creation remained a mystery until the species' discovery. The nests are created to attract mates through the nest's impressive design and ability to gather fine sand particles, both of which influence a female's

mate choice Mate choice is one of the primary mechanisms under which evolution can occur. It is characterized by a "selective response by animals to particular stimuli" which can be observed as behavior.Bateson, Paul Patrick Gordon. "Mate Choice." Mate Choic ...

. Males never reuse a nest. As of 2014, the white-spotted pufferfish is thought to be the only species that creates these shapes. In 2015, the

International Institute for Species Exploration The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) is a research institute located in Syracuse, New York. Its mission is to improve taxonomical exploration and the cataloging of new species of flora and fauna. Since 2008, IISE has publ ...

named it as one of the "Top 10 New Species" discovered in 2014.

References

Tetraodontidae Fish described in 2014 {{tetraodontiformes-stub