& Ocean

Only one in the world can be seen in Amami

Everything about crop circles!

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Although the existence of crop circles has been known among local fishermen since about 1995, it remains a mystery as to who created them for what. Some people believed in the curse, and it hadn't been clarified for a long time.

In 2012, a TV program survey revealed that it was the spawning bed for a new species of blowfish (Torquigener alborus), and it was selected as one of the top 10 new species by the International Institute for Species Research.

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In 2020, a research team at the University of Western Australia discovered a similar circle in the deep sea at a depth of 100 m in an unmanned submarine survey, but did not confirm the appearance of blowfish.

This puffer fish can be observed only in Amami Oshima in the world at present, and the process and timing of forming a circle have been elucidated.

According to the movement of the moon, the male Torquigener alborus nests around the moon of the tenth night (Tokanya no Tsuki, the tenth day from the new moon) and the moon of Ariake (the 25th day from the new moon) at intervals of about two weeks. To start.

For a few days until completion, every day, remove garbage, dig sand, collect shells, and make a perfect circle. If you make a beautiful circle, many females will come to spawn.

The schedule for the 2021 circle to start is as follows: Males are working hard to build nests from this day on the 2nd to 3rd, and females will have a chance to spawn in the completed circle on the 3rd to 4th. After that, for a few days, you can observe a male who takes care of the eggs and a circle that gradually collapses.

May 22 (10th night)

June 5 (Ariake month)

June 20th (10th night)

July 3 (Ariake month)

July 20th (10th night)