The blobfish is a member of the family Psychrolutidae, whose existence was discovered almost a century ago. Despite this, it still remains an insufficiently studied species. It lives in deep ocean waters near the Australian continent and in waters near New Zealand. She became widely known mainly due to her unattractive appearance and even appeared in memes and films.
General description of the blob fish
The blobfish is classified as a member of the Scorpaeniformes family. Its closest relatives are cattunculi and soft-bodied gobies. It was first discovered by fishermen in 1926 in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, but due to the lack of advanced technology at that time it could not be thoroughly studied. The Australian goby became known to the whole world in 2003, when one specimen was caught off the coast of New Zealand during an ichthyological research expedition.
Why is it called that?
The fish, called Psychrolutes marcidus in Latin, is so named due to its deep-sea existence, where the water temperature is very low. Translated from ancient Greek, the first word means “one who likes to take cold baths.” It was also given the English name "blobfish" because it appears to be a gelatinous blob. In England it is called the toadfish, and in Australia it is called the goby.
What does a blob fish look like?
The wide popularity of this deep-sea creature is explained by its non-standard appearance. This inhabitant of the deep is not like the vast majority of fish; the blob fish does not have the typical scales that we are used to seeing; only some varieties have small, sparse spines on their heads.
Its pectoral fins are located close to the head and are not particularly pronounced. The most noticeable fin is the tail fin, which acts like a rudder and helps in maneuvering. The dorsal fin is either absent or very small.
The blobfish has a spherical head and a long body, narrower near the tail. The average size of its species is 28-33 cm in total length, some adults reach 60-66 cm. Their weight can reach 8-11 kg.
The coloration of these creatures that live in the deep sea varies depending on the species, but in general they have shades such as dark gray, dark brown and pale pink in various combinations. This helps them blend in with their surroundings in the dimly lit waters of the depths.
The most characteristic feature of the Australian bull is its head. Between his two massive eyes with a white iris and a black dot inside there is a protrusion reminiscent of a descending human nose, but which is visible only in fish raised to the surface, but is not so noticeable in their natural habitat. The mouth of the drop fish is very stretched, wide, the lips are thick and bright. This species has the corners of its mouth downturned, which gives it a sad expression and has earned it the title of one of the saddest creatures in the world.
Once a fisherman who brought Psychrolutes marcidus to the surface described it in a unique way: “It looks as if an old man’s head made of jelly was exposed to the sun, causing it to spread.”
The peculiar appearance of the Australian bull is not surprising, given its habitat and physiology. It lives in the depths of the sea, where the pressure is several hundred times greater than on the surface, so its body seems to be woven from a gel-like material, the density of which is similar to the density of water, so that it can move without being crushed. In addition, he has no bones or muscles.
Distribution area
The droplet fish lives in the Pacific Ocean. Also found in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It is most often seen near Tasmania and some islands near New Zealand. In addition, it was found in deep sea areas near the northern waters of California, as well as in Japan.
Population
Members of this family have not yet been thoroughly studied due to the expense of deep-sea research, but they are considered to be an endangered species. Three probable reasons for their population decline:
- lack of food at great depths;
- death from various pollutants that accumulate on the seabed;
- getting caught in fishing nets and rising to the surface.
According to ichthyologists, it will take at least 10-15 years to revive the species. Due to the risk of complete destruction of this family, catching blobfish is illegal. In addition, rising water temperatures in all the world's oceans are a threatening factor for this species (after all, blob fish live in waters with low temperatures).
Lifestyle
This fish is found in waters that reach depths of 500 to 1300 meters, never rising to the upper layers. This means that observing this wonderful fish in its natural habitat can only be done with the help of photographs and videos taken by the submersible.
Ichthyologists have noticed that this strange-looking fish tends to live alone, looking for a mate only for the purpose of reproduction. This species is very calm and secretive; it mostly stays in one place deep underwater and rarely moves more than 1-2 kilometers from its home.
What does the blob fish eat?
At the ocean level where the deep-sea blobfish lives, there are not a huge number of other creatures, so its main food sources are small crustaceans, crabs, mollusks, shrimp and other bottom plankton.
The blob fish has an interesting way of catching food: it stays in one place in the water with its mouth open and waits for prey to fall into it. This may be due to the lack of diverse life forms at great depths, as well as its slowness, which means it is often malnourished. However, this slow approach is actually beneficial because it uses less of her energy.
An interesting fact about Australian gobies is that they are able to hunt effectively without being able to swim quickly, thanks to their excellent eyesight. These animals have protruding eyes that help them see clearly in dim underwater conditions.
Spawning
There is not enough data to describe the mating season of the blobfish, how the female attracts a mate, or how they reproduce. According to ichthyologists, even despite the absence of seasonal fluctuations at a depth of 0.6-1.3 km, the drop fish goes to spawn and lays eggs in the spring and summer months. The Australian goby lays tens of hundreds of eggs, which are pale pink or beige in color. The need for the blobfish to lay a huge number of eggs is explained by the fact that they are a popular food for other sea creatures. Therefore, according to experts, there can be up to 100,000 eggs in each nest of a blobfish. Unfortunately, only a small part of the eggs will survive to maturity.
Members of this family are believed to be some of the most devoted parents, as they hibernate close to their eggs in the deep sea, much like a hen protecting her chicks. After the offspring appear, the parents protect them for about three months until they become independent. It has been noted that juvenile blobfish have a characteristic lighter beige color than adults.
Life cycle of a blob fish
Blobfish can survive in their natural habitat for up to five to nine years, but their populations are threatened by food shortages and predators. Although at the depths where it lives, few predators are able to absorb it.
Natural enemies
Ichthyologists suggest that the greatest threats to the blobfish are giant squids and predatory angler fish. Blobfish eggs are also threatened by deep-sea octopuses and other organisms that may feed on them.
People are the main threat to the unusual, jelly-shaped blob fish. People do not find any value in the fish itself - it is not very tasty and weighs little, but they use deep-sea trawls to catch crabs and squid on the ocean floor and eventually lure the blobfish into their nets.
This creature, living deep in the ocean, cannot survive on the surface of the water for more than a few hours, which makes catching it completely useless.
Interesting Facts
Let's find out more about this charismatic inhabitant of the deep sea - the blob fish.
- The blobfish has been featured in various films and TV series such as Man in Black and The X-Files.
- Despite its unusual sad appearance, the blobfish is a popular figure on souvenirs such as magnets and postcards.
- Every year, the fish markets of the Australian capital usually sell 6-7 specimens of accidentally caught blobfish, which are donated to universities or museums for study.
- Since it is difficult to reproduce on land the conditions in which these fish live at great depths, today it will be possible to see a living specimen of this family only in the Fukushima Aquarium.
Is her meat tasty?
The meat of the blobfish has not been subjected to extensive research, and it cannot be found on European restaurant menus, as they consider the flesh of these creatures to be completely tasteless and inedible. However, residents of Asian countries such as China and Japan have a different point of view: they consider it a delicacy and sell the meat of drop fish at a high price. It is likely that its high price is not due to its unique taste, but rather to its rarity.
In 2019, a blobfish caught by mistake ended up in a Sydney fish market. Mr. Stallknow, one of the workers, bought it there and cooked it with a blow torch at his home. He described the fish's taste as being reminiscent of lobster meat.
The most famous representative
In 2002, an Australian bull caught near New Zealand received the nickname Mr. Blobby was exhibited at the Australian Museum. Now it can be seen at the Institute of Ichthyology, placed in a jar with a solution of ethyl alcohol tincture.
In 2012, New Zealand stand-up Simon Watt decided to hold an "anti-beauty contest" to decide which animal was the ugliest in the world. After online voting Mr. Blobby won with over ten thousand votes.
The blobfish is a highly debated species of fish on Earth. There are 11 varieties of this family. People have polarizing opinions about her, finding her funny, heartbreaking or repulsive.Everyone agrees on only one thing - it is impossible to forget the drop even after one glance at its original appearance.
