Tetrodon
1803
Meet the Tetrodon, a delightfully round and blue fish captured by Irish naturalist Edward Donovan in 1803. Donovan was a prolific illustrator who wanted to bring the wonders of the natural world to the public, often coloring his engravings by hand to make them pop. This particular fish, with its comically tiny mouth and enormous, sail-like fins, looks like it's floating through a sea of cream-colored paper. Scientific illustrations like this were the 'nature documentaries' of their day, helping people marvel at exotic creatures they might never see in real life!
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