Once notorious as the “world’s ugliest animal,” the blobfish was crowned Fish of the Year in New Zealand this year.

According to a report in The Guardian, the Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) inhabits the deep sea depths off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia, featuring a unique anatomical structure adapted to survive the harsh oceanic environment.

Their bodies possess a blob-like texture that is less dense than water, allowing them to float above the seabed. Lacking skeletons, muscles, and scales, this species utilizes this distinctive structure instead of a swim bladder.

RESEMBLING A FAILED MEDICAL EXPERIMENT: Konrad Kurta from the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust mentioned that blobfish can live up to 130 years, with a very slow growth rate. Moreover, their lifestyle is quite intriguing; they remain almost motionless while waiting for prey to get very close. Another characteristic is that the female blobfish can lay up to 100,000 eggs in a single nest and guard them.

Known for its appearance ten years ago when it was photographed by the crew of a New Zealand research vessel, the blobfish gained fame. Its unique and interesting appearance quickly became popular in internet culture. Konrad Kurta noted that the blobfish looks like a normal fish at deep sea pressures but resembles a “failed medical experiment” when brought to the surface due to the distortion caused by sudden pressure changes.

FISH OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

Inspired by the Bird of the Year competition in 2020, the Fish of the Year contest was initiated. This year, the competition garnered the highest number of votes with 5,583 in total. The Blobfish emerged victorious with 1,286 votes, surpassing the orange roughy by a margin of 300 votes.