Fun Blobfish Facts For Kids

Have you ever imagined how many species are there lying unnoticed in this huge world? It will not be surprising to say that there are millions of species about whose existence humans have no idea about. There are currently more than 15 million species on earth, and we have only found two million of them. One such unnoticed species was found in 2003, blob fish or Psychrolutes marcidus, a strange fish with no muscles at all! It has since been categorized as the ugliest animal living in deep sea near the Australian borders. As they do not have a lot of bones in the body, the extreme pressure of the deep sea provides structural support to the body which is made up of a blobby material, with a density lower than water.

The blobfish was found in the deep sea waters of New Zealand and has since been found in Australian waters as well. This marine animal captured a lot of attention because of its strange and hideous appearance. This fish is still a wonder to many and scientists are trying to find out more about this species. As this fish is full of interesting and unique features, learning about it becomes more intriguing.  The blobfish which is well known for its weird appearance is not like the other fishes. These ugly t fishes may look like fish, but they have many differences from other ordinary fishes. Here we will get to know more about these facts, which make a blobfish different from others. So, let's get to know more about Blobfish with these interesting facts. 
 

What type of animal is a blobfish?

A blobfish is a deep water carnivore fish of the Psychrolutidae family. It is said to be the ugliest animal in the world. It does not possess a swim bladder which enables it to control its buoyancy. In absence of bones, the extreme pressure of the deep sea lends support to their body structure. When the blobfish in water is brought to the surface, their body suffers decompression damage.

What class of animal does a blobfish belong to?

The blobfish belongs to the Actinopterygii class of animals. It is unique in the sense that unlike most other sea animals, this ugly animal is devoid of a swim bladder. The blobby material making its body prevents it from being crushed in the depths of ocean and sea.

How many blobfish are there in the world?

There are around 420 blobfish left in the world. Because of excess fishing, these fishes get caught in the fishing nets and their numbers have been reducing. Many efforts are being made by world's major countries to save them from extinction.

Where does a blobfish live?

A blobfish is a fish that lives in the deep waters of Australia and New Zealand.

What is a blobfish's habitat?

A blobfish lives in very deep waters and just above the ocean's floor. The depth of the water can be more than 2,000 feet.

Who do blobfish live with?

These fishes live with other deep water fishes. There is not enough information available about Blobfishes living in world's oceans, but when these fishes lay eggs, they lay their eggs together in a nest.

How long does a blobfish live?

The lifespan of a blobfish is not known well, but on an average they live for 100 years. The blobby material making up their body helps them withstand extreme pressure at the depths of a sea and an ocean.

How do they reproduce?

Blobfishes lay around 9,000 eggs, and many females lay eggs near one another, and they levitate over the eggs until they devise.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of blobfish is 'Least Concern'. Till now only 420 blobfishes have been identified in the world's oceans since the discovery of this ugliest animal in 2003 but there is no immediate threat of extinction facing them. Though, they do get caught in fishing nets and when brought to the surface from underwater, face decompression damage to their blobby body.

What do blobfish look like?

A blobfish is an ugly fish which looks like a normal bony fish in deep waters but when this fish is dragged out of the water surface then these fishes look wobbly and gelatinous. Their body is made up of a blobby substance that protects it from the extreme pressure in the depths of a sea or an ocean. It possesses huge black eyes, a large mouth and a bulbous nose.

How cute are they?

Some people find blobfish cute and funny, but actually, a blobfish looks a bit hideous because of its strange appearance.

How do they communicate?

There is not enough information available about these fishes, but as other fishes they may also communicate through creating vibrations.

How big is a blobfish?

A blobfish is neither a very big nor a very small fish. A blobfish is around 12 in long but can reach length of 2 ft as well, which makes it 12 times bigger than a Paedocypris fish.

How fast can a blobfish swim?

Actually, a blobfish can't swim, rather it floats because of its gelatinous skin. This fish does not have muscles, and that's why this fish can not swim, and its gelatinous skin allows it to float. This fish waits for the food to come to its mouth, lack of muscles makes it difficult to capture the food. Blobfish swimming speed has been estimated to be around five mph.

How much does a blobfish weigh?

This boneless blobfish weighs around 20 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name for the male and female species. They are simply referred to as male blobfish and female blobfish.

What would you call a baby blobfish?

A baby blobfish can be called a fry or fingerlings. A baby fish is called fingerling because they are almost the same size as that of fingers.

What do they eat?

A blobfish eats carrion, sea pens, crabs, mollusks, and sea urchins. As these fishes do not have muscles, they face difficulty in moving and capturing the food. So, they wait for the food to come to their mouth.

Do humans eat them?

No, humans do not eat blobfish. There are two reasons for this. First, their skin is acidic, so eating them would be dangerous. The second reason is that these fish do not have any muscle which makes them less preferable for human consumption because humans prefer to eat those fish which have muscles and good amount of flesh.

Would they make a good pet?

No, the first reason is that these fishes are already on the verge of extinction. Second, these fishes are deep water fishes and it is a challenging task to transfer these deep water fishes to aquariums. Also, these fishes are not ordinary as others. Lack of muscles acts as a hindrance to many routine activities. So, these fishes are not suitable for pet life.

Did you know...

A blobfish can't bite a human as it has no teeth. And also, very few humans can come in contact with these fishes as they are so deep in the ocean. So there is no chance of a blobfish biting a human.

A blobfish looks like a normal fish when underwater but as soon as it is brought out of the water it starts to change. The reason behind this is that the water pressure makes it appear like the other normal fishes, but when this fish is brought out of this water pressure then the fish loses its shape and starts to look strange.

Blob fishes are found deep in the waterfloor, near the bottom, and these strange-faced fishes die as soon as they are brought out of the water.

Yes, a blobfish is deepwater fish found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Although these fishes are different from the other fishes, these strange creatures actually belong to the fish family. They are fishes without muscle, bones and teeth.

What eats blobfish?

No one eats this fish as the skin of this fish is acidic and sits at the bottom of the ocean floor, and if someone consumes this fish, they will die. And neither do they have any predators in the aquatic animals. The reason behind this is again their acidic skin.

When was the blobfish discovered?

In the year 2003, the blobfish was discovered by a marine ecologist named Kerryn Parkinson, while he was on a sea expedition in New Zealand. The bob fish is regarded as the ugliest fish in world's oceans.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our blobfish coloring pages.