Blobfishes look like scary or deformed human faces, don’t they? But in reality, they are complete opposites of what they appear like. If you don’t know much about this sea creature, then here we have shared blobfish facts for kids.
So let’s get straight into the topic.
1. The Blobfish lives in water just above the sea bed.
The Blobfish or blobfish can be found in the deep sea. They mostly inhabit waters that are above the sea bed at the depths of 2,000 to 3,900 feet which is 600 to 1200 meters. Mostly, they reside off the coast of mainland Tasmania, New Zealand, as well as Australia.
2. The Blobfish is said to be the ugliest fish on the earth.
According to the sources, the Blobfish is described as the ugliest animal on this planet. They have gained this bad impression due to their jelly-like bodies which get damaged due to decompression when they are in a high-pressure environment. Although they look like any ordinary fish when they are in the sea.
3. You can find the photo of dead blobfish in a museum in Australia.
The Blobfishes are one of the most hunted fishes by humans for fun. In the past, a picture of a dead blobfish was captured after it experienced deformity due to decompression. It is one of the most seen pictures of blobfish which can be found in the museum of Australia.
4. The blobfish is a member of the diverse order of fish.
The blobfish is part of the family Psychrolutidae and the order Scorpaeniformes. These orders also include other fishes like fatheads, tadpole sculpins, as well as fathead sculpins.
5. The blobfish has a combination of grayish and pinkish colors.
The blobfishes have a jelly-like appearance and combinations of two pastel colors, that is light grayish and pinkish. When it comes to weight, they are 20 pounds (9 kg) and typically under 30cms (12 inches) in length.
6. The jelly-like skin of the blobfish helps them to easily suck in their food.
By looking at the appearance of a blobfish we can make out that their flesh is made up of a gelatinous mass which has a slightly less density than the water.
The skin of the blobfish helps them to float above the sea floor. They roam above the water surface with their mouths open and wait for their prey. And once their prey swims or flats in their directions, they directly suck in.
7. The blobfish mostly consumes small fishes and some sorts of bacteria.
The blobfishes mostly eat microscopic bacteria and sea creatures such as sea pens, lobsters, crabs, mollusks, shellfish, and urchins.
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8. Researchers know very little about blobfish.
As of now, not much is known about blobfish by researchers. These sea creatures are elusive. Plus, they live in deep waters in the ocean. So this could be a reason why we have little knowledge about them.
9. In water, the blobfish looks like a typical bony fish.
The blobfish appears like an ordinary fish in the sea but when they are in an unusual environment such as out of the water, their skin looks like jelly.
10. The blobfish can hold their gelatinous shape out of water.
The blobfish has no bones so it can become really difficult for them to maintain their shape when they are out of water. And when they are dragged to the surface through nets or natural ways, their gelatinous and bulbous body holds their shape without any water pressure.
11. The first blobfish was found in 2003.
Some sources reveal that blobfish was first discovered in 2003. As soon as they were found, they were given their real name.
According to some reports, a couple of scientists and his crew nicknamed the first blobfish ‘Mr. Blobby’. It was found after being trawled during the NORFANZ expedition on the Norfolk Ridge, northwest of New Zealand.
12. The blobfish lives in an extreme pressure environment.
These jelly-like sea creatures mostly live in a high-pressure environment. Furthermore, they experience more pressure on dry land which is 120 times more than water. If we humans were to go and live under the sea like blobfish, our organs would get crushed under the weight of pressure.
13. The blobfish has little muscles and no real skeletons.
Yes, the blobfish has neither real skeletons nor little muscles. The flesh of this fish is completely made up of gelatinous mass. Plus, it has soft and fine bones that allow them to survive at high pressure. Besides, they can easily float at extreme depths without using their energy.
14. Blobfish are always compared or related to the Blob Sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus) species.
Some sources reveal that blobfishes are related to the Blob Sculpin. However, capturing these creatures in the camera has always been a tedious task because they mostly soar beneath the ocean.
Although their presence is rare, the related blob sculpin fish has been captured at the bottom of the ocean. This gives us a hint that blobfish can truly survive on the sea bed.
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15. Unfortunately, blobfish do not have a swim bladder.
Unlike other sea creatures, deep sea creatures do not have air-filled cavities. These cavities act as buoyancy and help with movement. Their bodies would collapse under the pressure of the ocean. Thus, they are dependent on their jelly-like flesh to give needed support instead.
16. Blobfish don’t use energy.
These sea creatures do not spend their energy moving around the depth of the ocean. As we said before, these creatures do not have muscles, so they are not active hunters. Thus, their jelly-like mass gives them a density lower than the water at deep pressures.
17. Blobfish are toothless.
If blobfish come into contact with humans, they won’t bite because they have no teeth. All they do comes above the sea floor in search of small sea creatures and microscopic bacteria that appear.
18. Humans are thought to be the accidental predators of blobfish.
The blobfish often get caught in the trawling nets which are set by humans to capture other fishes. These fishes appear on the surface in search of prey but the sudden change in pressure is fatal for the blobfish. As these creatures are created to survive in high-pressure deep oceans, they might die when they are taken out of water.
19. Blobfish are not considered food for humans.
These sea creatures have never been considered a delicacy online other than similar fishes. It is not because they are not tasty. The main reason behind this is that blobfish are very rare to find. On the other hand, humans have a lot of simpler options in fish.
20. No researcher has ever documented a living blobfish on their camera.
No human has ever gone beneath the ocean which has an extreme environment. It is too difficult for us to survive so videographers and photographers are unable to survive in the wild.
As of now, only a couple of underwater pictures have been captured. And most of the details about blobfish were discovered when they were accidentally captured in trawling nets.
