Blobfish Isn't Actually World's Ugliest Animal: 10 Facts About This Deep-Sea Creature

The blobfish is a deep-sea creature that lives in waters just above the sea bed at depths of 2,000 to 3,900 feet (600 to 1,200 meters), off the coasts of mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

They have been reported as the ugliest fish in the world, although, this known impression is because of the decompression harm to their jelly-like bodies, when they are out of their natural high pressure habitat

The stereotype is also majorly from one single familiar picture of a lifeless blobfish, that has gone through significant deformity because of decompression. It's the most frequent picture of a blobfish you'll see, which stays in an Australian museum.

They are participants of the family Psychrolutidae and order Scorpaeniformes, which involves fatheads, fathead sculpins, and tadpole sculpins.

(Photo : Francesco Ungaro)

Interesting Facts About Blobfish

1. In a 2013 online poll, they were voted as the world's ugliest animal.

When the Ugly Animal Preservation Society wanted a new mascot, they made a decision to put it to a public vote. The blobfish was clamorously named as the ugliest animal that lived with 795 votes of 3,000, defeating the pubic lice, proboscis monkey, and marine scrotum frog for the highest spot 'honor'. Although, the famous 'ugly stereotype' is somewhat misleading.

2. The blobfish truly looks like a total normal fish in its usual habitat.

At deep-sea, they resemble a typical bony fish. This pressured habitat gives their gelatinous body mass a structural shape.

When blobfish are carried to the surface away from their natural habitat in bottom trawling nets, they seem gelatinous and bulbous without the pressure of water to hold their shape

Also Read: 6 Fascinating Weird Animals You Never Knew Existed

3. Blobfish was initially found in 2003 and given its name instantly.

Yes, its actual name is 'Blobfish', it is not a nickname. The very first blobfish ever discovered was given the nicknamed 'Mr. Blobby' by experts and crew after being trawled in the NORFANZ expedition, on the Norfolk Ridge, in the north-west of New Zealand.

4. Blobfish inhabit an extreme pressure environment and experience up to 120 times the pressure as on dry land.

At this depth comparably, organs of humans would be squashed under the sheer weight of pressure.

5. The blobfish has no actual skeleton and tiny muscles.

The flesh of the blobfish is mainly a gelatinous mass with very fine, soft bones, which let the fish survive at high pressure and float over the seafloor at the greatest depths, without wasting much energy.

6. They are related to the Blob Sculpin species.

Getting the recording of blobfish on camera has been proven to be difficult, and while still uncommon, the related blob sculpin fish has been filmed more currently beneath the ocean.

7. Blobfish do not possess a swim bladder.

Unlike many fish, deep-sea fish do not possess air-filled cavities, which act as buoyancy and aid with movement. They would fall down under sheer pressure at the depths they inhabit. They depend on their jelly-like flesh to give the needed support instead.

8. Blobfish don't use much energy moving around.

They don't hunt actively, because of their lack of muscles. As their jelly-like mass provides them with density smaller than water at such deep pressures.

(Photo : Uncoated)

9. Blobfish has no teeth.

Blobfish do not bite, they do not possess any teeth and very few humans will ever come close to them. They float around at the top of the seafloor going around, above sea creatures and microscopic bacteria that appear.