Why do pufferfish inflate?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Defense against predators
Warming cold water around them — Wrong. Inflation doesn't generate heat. It's a defensive mechanism to appear larger and harder to swallow.
Defense against predators ✓ — Correct! When threatened, pufferfish rapidly pump water into their elastic stomach, inflating like a balloon to 2-3x normal size. This makes them too large and round for predators to swallow. Many pufferfish also have spines that stick out when inflated and contain tetrodotoxin poison. Triple defense!
Looking attractive to mates — Wrong. Inflation is a threat response, not courtship. Some pufferfish do create circular sand patterns to attract mates, but inflating is for defense.
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