In typical engineering, stability and maneuverability are often opposing goals. Boxfish have evolved to embrace instability — but with remarkable control. Their body shape increases drag slightly compared to more streamlined fish, yet that compromise enables agile turns and precise swimming within coral labyrinths — vital for escaping predators and navigating terrain.
Not only boxier, N-Box is significantly smaller than any minivan/MPV. It's only 147cm wide and 339cm in length, while popular minivan like Odyssey is 199cm wide and 516cm long. It is a Kei Car, it's made to squeeze through narrow road of japan and easier to park.
I just had a dream a couple hours ago about a small pet swordfish that would do tricks like flips and let you cradle it and scritch it's belly. It was pretty strange.
25 Comments
bus_factor@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 17d
They are surprisingly maneuverable, though:
https://johnreycalesa.medium.com/the-energy-efficient-boxfish-an-unexpected-model-for-design-74e16baae864
merde@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 17d
there was a recent 99% invisible episode about this: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/677-the-borrowed-nature-of-biomimicry/
that boxfish car looks good
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 17d
So like Honda N-Box basically, bad aerodynamic, unstable, but stupidly maneuverable in the world of gigantic cars. Easy to park too.
toebhi@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 17d
It is not basically a minivan/van with a slightly boxier shape?
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 17d
Not only boxier, N-Box is significantly smaller than any minivan/MPV. It's only 147cm wide and 339cm in length, while popular minivan like Odyssey is 199cm wide and 516cm long. It is a Kei Car, it's made to squeeze through narrow road of japan and easier to park.
Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 17d
Yea but the fish box is much better fish to get in fish Tetris.
brsrklf@jlai.lu · 1 pts · 17d
I hate to be the "actually" guy (no I don't, who am I kidding)...
But if you want to score a tetris, you'll need a very linear kind of fish.
And the other kind of special scoring would requires a T-shaped fish that's good at spinning.
ladicius@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 17d
Every fish except the fastest is not the fastest fish.
zedgeist@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 17d
Big if true
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 17d
[Citation needed]
MidsizedSedan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 17d
There's always a faster fish...
tpihkal@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 17d
As long as the box fish stays in its lane, I don't see a problem here...
usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 17d
Yeah, but let's see how well the sail fish does in the ring!
IhaveCrabs111@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 17d
But it’s faster at being a box
whaleross@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 17d
A boxfish would take down most any other fish in a fight.
Before the fight actually, as they release neurotoxin as soon the opponent shows up.
Don't mess with the boxfish.
Bipauler@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 17d
I just had a dream a couple hours ago about a small pet swordfish that would do tricks like flips and let you cradle it and scritch it's belly. It was pretty strange.
dylanTheDeveloper@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 17d
What about the braindead Sunfish?
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 17d
You mean the Mola mola? I like how their bizarre ways continue to baffle 😄
BonsaiBoo@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 17d
Sponge Bob Square Fish!
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 17d
look at the sunfish. it's the dumbest most useless and inedible fish in the world.
it just floats around, existing, seeing the world. no predators. no goals. no job.
sounds pretty nice, eh?
not so dumb anymore is it?
Cheesus@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 17d
No predators? Guess you haven’t seen the video of an orca literally exploding one with a headbutt so that it’s calf could eat it…
LePoisson@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 17d
That's sounds metal AF imma go find that
Woah it did explode
Zephyr@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 17d
Wait until you learn about the sunfish.
tetris11@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 16d
The sulphor is sulphor
QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 10d
I love that evolution never asks why, it just makes goofy guys that, as long as they can generally survive long enough to reproduce, just kinda exist.