HOW DOES THE BOX SHAPED FISHES SWIM? When you imagine a fish, you probably imagine something smooth and sleek that slices right through the water. But there is a handful of fish that just aren't sleek at all… like the boxfish, which is essentially a colorful box with fins. It might seem like exactly the worst shape for fish… but it actually comes with some surprising perks. In general, fish need to be able to cut through the water without a lot of resistance, or drag. That way, they don’t waste too much energy swimming, and they’re quick enough to escape predators. But the boxfish has a rigid skeleton in the shape of a box, which, as you might expect, creates a lot of drag. The odd thing is, despite their shape, boxfish aren’t these lumbering, awkward things. They’re actually pretty agile and good at dodging predators. And that caught scientists’ attention. In 2002, a group of researchers used 3D-printed models of these fish to explore how water flowed around them. At first, they...