The world's ugliest animal is celebrated as New Zealand's fish of the year
Beauty is in the eyes of Mr. Blobby's beholders.
The blobfish, a deep-sea creature, has been described as the world's ugliest animal because of its gelatinous, tadpole-like body. But voters in a New Zealand contest were having none of it, naming the blobfish — known affectionately as 'Mr. Blobby' — New Zealand's fish of the year this week in a competition held by an environmental nonprofit group.
Organized by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the annual event seeks to educate the New Zealand public about the wide variety of fish and the fragile state of the freshwater and marine environments they live in.
The blobfish, which lives mainly in waters off the southeastern coast of mainland Australia, the Australian island of Tasmania and New Zealand, emerged victorious with almost 1,300 out of more than 5,500 votes in this year's nail-biter of a race. It enjoyed a late surge in support against its fellow deep-sea dweller the orange roughy, which had been in the lead but ended up losing by almost 300 votes.
The trust's co-director, Kim Jones, described the competition as 'a battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish's unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line.'
The appearance of blobfish, which have bulbous heads and loose, flabby skin and grow to about 12 inches in length, has a lot to do with their environment. In their natural habitat, on the seabed at depths of about 2,000 to 4,000 feet, blobfish look much like any other fish.
But when brought to the surface, where the water pressure isn't high enough to maintain their shape, blobfish morph into the mushy creatures whose looks have been the subject of so much name-calling.
Despite its high profile as the longtime official mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, the blobfish had been trailing the orange roughy, which is endangered.
Its fortunes changed halfway through the final week of the race, thanks to the support of two New Zealand radio hosts who encouraged their listeners to vote blobfish.
'We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines," More FM afternoon drivetime hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said Monday.
The blobfish '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!' they said.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Law Initiative, which sponsored the orange roughy in the race, said it had 'no bloblem' with the result, stressing that it's 'still a win' for deep-sea ecosystems and can help raise awareness about the environmental impact of destructive bottom trawling.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hugh Jackman brings jokes, drama and John Denver to opening night at the Hollywood Bowl
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New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Inside the secret society of ‘real life vampires' — and the arousing secret of how they drink blood
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Gillie and Marc/Youtube Advertisement These days, their ranks are being quietly pumped by social media and the decline of religion. Just don't ask these creatures of the night to throw light on their very dark way of life. They claim they keep to themselves and aren't dangerous. But critics claim some vampires use this cloak of secrecy to exploit people. So are they really monsters? Medical mysteries? Or just misunderstood? Advertisement 'I want revenge' For centuries, vampire folklore has compelled us. Tales of bloodsucking beasts can be found in ancient cultures around the world including First Nations people. But in the last few decades, they've been forever fixed in pop culture as a romanticized symbol of finding identity in the world. This romanticism is at the heart of the complex history between real vampires and Sydney local Crystal, who does not wish to share her real name. On one hand, Crystal claims they've drugged her. Drank her blood without consent. 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Universal Studios What's known as a 'donor' will willingly offer their blood to a vampire. Both take medical tests and other precautions. Complications are rare. Which is fine. But it begs another question: why? Real vampires claim they feel sick and lethargic if they don't feed on human blood. It balances their energy. 16 Movie poster for 'Dracula 'starring Bela Lugosi. AP Some believe this thirst for blood is a sign of a deeper mental health problem. So is it all a big delusion? When vampires follow a code of silence, it's not easy to say. But that secrecy is well founded. They've learned the hard way their lifestyle inspires revulsion. That's why this community stays in the shadows. Most Australian vampires I contacted for this story declined to take part in it. One local fanged figure you need to know is Jason De Marco, otherwise known as Don Jason. Don Jason runs the Sydney Vampires Meetup Group. He's also an electioneering member of the Liberal Party, bringing new meaning to the idea of a bloodsucking politician. At least this one is honest. In a YouTube video made by married artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, Jason is seen wearing Edwardian-era clothing, surgically-enhanced fangs, and a wide smile. Among the graves of Waverley cemetery, he says Don Jason first knew what he was aged four. 'I was different from other children' Jason said. 'I said I'm going to grow up and be Dracula.' 16 'I said I'm going to grow up and be Dracula,' Don Jason, who runs the Sydney Vampires Meetup Group, said. Gillie and Marc/Youtube He says he drinks exclusively from the razor-sliced thighs of female donors. They don't just consent to this feeding. They're aroused by it. 'They seem to get an orgasm off it every time,' he claimed. 'People can assume we're insane: why do you have this need to drink blood?' 16 'People can assume we're insane: why do you have this need to drink blood?' 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'Vampires don't describe a stand-alone group in any of the statistical standard classifications used to disseminate Census data,' a spokesperson said. 'The ABS regularly reviews statistical standard classifications and holds public consultations to ensure standard classifications reflect the Australian community.' Until vampires are socially acknowledged, we'll never know how many of them walk among us or what secrets they hold. Nelson Groom is a freelance writer. His novel The Auction is coming soon. Learn more on his Instagram Got a story? Get in touch: nelsonsamuelgroom@
American Military News
12 hours ago
- American Military News
Jessie J has early breast cancer, will have surgery soon
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