The blobfish, 'bullied his whole life,' named fish of the year in public vote
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Small ocean creature hatches in woman's hand
A couple walking along a St. Pete Beach in Florida came across an unusual egg, a clearnose skate fish hatched and swam off.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially in New Zealand.
A New Zealand-based environmental nonprofit, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, announced over the weekend its annual "Fish of the Year" winner, which was none other than the blobfish.
"The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusk to come through to eat. He has been bullied his whole life and we thought, 'Stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun,' and what a glorious moment it is," radio show More FM hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said in a news release.
More than 5,500 New Zealanders participated in the "Fish of the Year" competition, up from 1,021 in 2024, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust reported.
What is a blobfish?
The flathead sculpin, commonly known as the blobfish, gained widespread popularity after it was named the world's ugliest animal during the 2013 British Science Festival. The blobfish is recognizable for its pink blob-like body, droopy, downturned mouth and large, saggy nose. Over the past decade, the fish has been made into countless memes, appeared in different forms of media and of course, sold as squishy plush toys.
But the blobfish isn't all the "blobby" in it's natural habitat. In the cold, dark depths of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans − between 1,970 to 3,940 feet deep − the blobfish looks quite different, more like a "normal" fish, in fact. Scientist Richard Arnott told National Geographic that the fish only looks so gooey because of rapid depressurization when its brought to the surface.
At the depths the blobfish resides, the pressure can be a hundred times stronger than on land, according to National Geographic. At around 3,280 feet down, human lungs and other air-filled spaces would collapse.
To survive under this pressure − literally − the blobfish's body has a high water and fat content. Jelly-like flesh makes the blobfish less dense than water, allowing it to easily move around, according to National Geographic.
Blobfish are known as lie-in-wait predators, meaning they lay on the seabed, waiting for anything that passed by to eat up. This allows them to preserve energy.
As for reproduction, blobfish reproduce in groups, laying about 100,000 eggs in each nest, National Geographic states. Blobfish parents stay close to their nests as their eggs develop.
Are blobfish endangered?
Blobfish are not listed as an endangered species, but human activity has caused an increased amount of danger to the fish's livelihood. Deep-sea fishing and bottom trawling, when a weighted fishnet is dragged across the sea floor, are considered some of the blobfish's key predators.
What is the Fish of the Year contest?
Started in 2021, the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust's Fish of the Year competition serves as an educational opportunity for New Zealanders to learn more about marine life who may be endangered or live in a fragile ecosystem, the trust's website states.
In 2021 and 2022, the Eagle Ray took home first place. In 2023, the Oceanic Manta Ray won and last year, the Spotty took home the crown.
Who were the Fish of the Year runner-ups?
According to the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the top nine fish, following the blobfish were:
No. 2: Orange roughy
No. 3: Longfin eel and tuna
No. 4: Whale shark
No. 5: Big-bellied seahorse and manaia
No. 6: Great white shark and mangō taniwha
No. 7: Lamprey and piharau
No. 8: Spine-tailed devil ray and whai Rahi
No. 9: Basking shark and reremai
No. 10: Blue cod and rāwaru
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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