10 Fun Facts About The Blobfish

10 Fun Facts About The Blobfish

The blobfish, or Psychrolutes marcidus as it is recognized by scientists, is a deep-sea fish species. It stands out thanks to its gelatinous structure, which gives it an ethereal and friendly appearance. This fish, which lives in the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, has evolved a novel adaption to the high hydrostatic pressure and total darkness of its natural habitat.

Unique environmental circumstances, including intense pressure and low light levels, present tremendous obstacles for would-be predators. As a result, the blobfish is able to live in a relatively risk-free environment, using its unique adaptations to take advantage of food that sinks to the sea floor.

However, the blobfish faces extra threats from human activities even though it is safest in the depths of the ocean. In particular, deep-sea trawling methods and habitat degradation can accidentally ensnare and kill these unusual species, making it imperative to conserve them in order to protect endangered populations and the fragile biological balance within their mysterious world.

1. The blobfish is of Psychrolutidae family

Two Psychrolutes marcidus.jpgRachel Caauwe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The blobfish, or Psychrolutes marcidus as it is called in the scientific community, is a member of the family Psychrolutidae and is found in the depths of the ocean. Its most common habitats are the deep sea regions off the shores of Tasmania and Victoria, as well as the oceans around Australia and New Zealand. Its preferred environment is at great depths, often between 600 and 1,200 meters (2,000 and 4,000 feet). The high pressure and freezing temperatures found at these depths are ideal for the blobfish.

2. The blobfish got its name because of how it looks

The blobfish got its name because of how similar it looks to a blob of gelatin. This unusual look, however, is due to the significant pressure differences between its deep-sea environment and the surface, where it would otherwise live. The pressure difference at the surface causes the blobfish to alter when it is introduced there for fishing purposes.

Its gelatinous body becomes less dense and more droopy as it deflates. The blobfish, when living in the deep sea as it was meant to do, takes on a more conventional fish form. Therefore, the blobfish’s exaggerated “blob” appearance is caused by the drastic change in environment it undergoes when brought to the surface.

3. Blobfish live in the ocean’s highest pressure regions

The normal depth at which blobfish may be found is between 600 and 1,200 meters (between 2,000 and 4,000 ft). The pressure here is far greater than it would be on the surface. In reality, the pressure may be many times higher, making a significant impact on the surrounding area.

The blobfish’s gelatinous flesh and absence of a swim bladder make it well-adapted to these harsh circumstances, allowing it to float lazily a few centimeters above the seafloor. Because of its unusual physiology, it can survive conditions that would kill ordinary fish.

4. There is no swim bladder in blobfish

Psychrolutes phrictus 1.jpg NOAA/MBARI, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A swim bladder, a gas-filled structure used by many fish species to regulate their buoyancy, is absent in the blobfish. The blobfish, on the other hand, is able to effortlessly float a few centimeters above the seafloor due to its unusual body composition and construction. Its flesh is less thick than water and is both gelatinous and greasy.

Because of its low density, the blobfish is able to establish a buoyant condition, allowing it to float effortlessly above the ocean floor. In the deep water, when food is scarce and space is at a premium, the blobfish’s ability to save energy provides an evolutionary advantage.

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5. Blobfish can only eat certain things

Blobfish can only eat a small variety of foods, most of which are found on the ocean floor. They live on the seafloor and consume a wide variety of marine life that has washed up there. Blobfish often eat smaller marine organisms including crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, and other invertebrates. The blobfish, which forage for food on the ocean floor, can benefit from these organisms.

Their diet is tailored to the organic detritus that sinks to the ocean floor from the surface, where it provides a consistent source of nutrients. Blobfish get the resources they need to live at the depths they do by eating these food particles and microscopic organisms.

6. Blobfish are often sedentary and uninteresting to see

Blobfish are notoriously sluggish and unresponsive creatures. They have adapted to spend as little energy as possible in motion as a result of the poor energy available in the deep water. Blobfish are ambush predators, meaning they don’t actively pursue their food. They sit in wait for prey, like as crabs and lobsters, that may come within reach.

When the time is right, they’ll pounce on their victim with wide lips and swallow them whole. They may swallow prey that is larger than their own body size because their lips are proportionally larger. Ambush tactics allow blobfish to conserve energy while still collecting the food resources they need to thrive in their ecosystem.

7.  The IUCN has designated blobfish as a species at danger of extinction

Psychrolutes phrictus.jpg See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The blobfish is now listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As bycatch, they are regularly caught in deep-sea trawling nets despite not being the primary target of fishing activities. Trawling the deep seas involves dragging enormous nets down the ocean floor in search of fish with high market value. The blobfish is simply one type of animal that might be accidentally trapped and injured using this method.

Blobfish are fragile, gelatinous creatures that are readily hurt or killed by fishing nets. Their small home range and low reproductive rates make them easier to eradicate. Reducing bycatch and safeguarding the deep-sea habitats where blobfish are found are the primary conservation priorities in order to ensure the species’ continued survival.

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8. In 2013, the blobfish was declared the ugliest animal in the planet

Psyphrcomp.jpg Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After being named the “World’s Ugliest Animal” in a 2013 British Science Association online survey, the blobfish saw a surge in media coverage and public interest. The poll was an attempt to bring more attention to the less glamorous but no less fascinating members of the animal kingdom.

The blobfish’s distinctive look, with its drooping and sagging characteristics, attracted the attention of the audience, and it was ultimately chosen as the poll’s winner. Not to be overlooked in light of the blobfish’s amazing adaptations and biological relevance in the deep water is the fact that beauty is subjective.

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9. The lips of blobfish are disproportionately huge to their bodies

Blobfish can take down food twice their size because their jaws are proportionally bigger than their bodies. This adaption helps them thrive in the deep water, where food is few and unpredictable. Blobfish have a wider mouth than other fish, allowing them to swallow and digest bigger food. This saves them the effort of tracking down and killing several smaller prey items in order to meet their dietary needs. The capacity to take down bigger prey is crucial to their continued existence and energy supply in the harsh conditions of the deep sea.

10. No other fish prey on blobfish

Psychrolutes marcidus.jpg Alan Riverstone McCulloch (1885-1925), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite their unappealing look, blobfish are completely safe at the depths of the ocean, where they lack any natural predators. Usually found between 600 and 1,200 meters (2,000 feet), these creatures endure extreme pressure and darkness at great depths. Many other forms of life would perish in these conditions.

The hostile circumstances and low food supply at such depths possibly explain why they are no natural predators in their ecosystem. The blobfish has been able to flourish in its uncontested niche as a slow-moving species due to the absence of predators. Deep-sea fishing and the deterioration of blobfish habitats are two human activities that continue to represent serious dangers to the blobfish population.

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