Blobfish's remarkable comeback story, from ‘world's ugliest animal' to New Zealand's fish of the year

Independent

19-03-2025

The blobfish defied its reputation as the world's ugliest animal to become New Zealand 's Fish of the Year, winning by about 300 votes over the orange roughy.
The competition, organised by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, was aimed at raising awareness about freshwater and marine species and their fragile ecosystems.
Native to the deep waters around New Zealand and Australia, the blobfish lacks a skeleton and swim bladder, enabling it to survive at depths of up to 1,200m. The gelatinous fish grows up to 30cm long. In its natural habitat, the blobfish maintains a typical fish shape due to high water pressure. When brought to the surface, however, the lack of pressure causes its body to collapse into its signature mushy form.
Psychrolutes marcidus, known for its miserable expression, was made the mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in 2013. The society aims to protect 'less attractive animals' such as the proboscis monkey.
Kim Jones, co-director of the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, said it was 'a battle of two quirky deep-sea critters, with the blobfish's unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line'.
A late push from More FM radio station helped secure the victory for the blobfish, turning its 'unconventional beauty' into a symbol of marine conservation and sparking a wider discussion about protecting deep-sea species in New Zealand.
Campaigning for the eventual winner, More FM hosts Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn said: '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.''
After the blobfish's win, the hosts said: 'The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusc to come through to eat. What a glorious moment it is!'
Ten fish species competed for the 2025 Fish of the Year title. The blobfish won with 1,286 votes against the orange roughy's 1,009. The longfin eel got 646 votes, whale shark 596, big-bellied seahorse 386, great white shark 344, and lamprey 312.
The 2025 edition of the annual competition witnessed the highest turnout of 5,583 votes, up from 1,021 in 2024.
'In some ways it was fitting blobfish and orange roughy were close at the end. They both live in deep sea environments close to New Zealand, and the blobfish is often incidentally caught during bottom trawling for orange roughy,' Ms Jones said.
The orange roughly is also a deep-sea fish found in New Zealand and Australia.
'While the blobfish's exact conservation status is unknown, orange roughy populations are struggling. Carefully managing orange roughy and its habitat will benefit the blobfish, too,' Ms Jones added.
A 2012 editorial in New Zealand's Stuff noted that 'the cuteness factor' of some animal species has been the subject of scientific analysis, 'through which it was determined that cute animals always trump their more modest-looking fellow species when it comes to conservation'.
New Zealand has around 1,400 marine fish species, including 300 endemics and 54 freshwater species, many of which are declining or threatened, according to the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.