Blobfish wins the fish of the New Zealand year after years of bad label

More than a decade after the world’s “most ill -fated animal” label, Blobfish (Psychrolutes Marcidus) has made an unexpected return, winning New Zealand’s “Fish of the Year” contest.

Organized by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the competition saw Blobfish securing 1,286 votes, surpassing its nearest competitor, Orange Roughy, with less than 300 votes when polls closed on Sunday.

Blobfish, known for its gelatinous, relaxed appearance, has long been the subject of charm and humor in the online culture of monuments. However, its distinct anatomy serves a crucial purpose, allowing it to survive in deep water environments from the coast of New Zealand and Australia.

Unlike most fish, blobfish does not have a full skeleton, scales, muscles and a bladder, which usually helps the fish maintain the buoyancy. Instead, the soft tissue of low density enables it to float effortlessly over seawater.

Despite its electronic reputation, Blobfish’s common image does not accurately reflect its appearance in water. When he is brought to the surface, the sudden change in the pressure deforms his body, giving him the melted, grumpy appearance that made it famous.

Blobfish’s victory in the competition highlights concerns about the maintenance of the deep sea. While its exact state of population remains unknown, its habitat is increasingly vulnerable to deep water trawls, a fishing practice that is inadvertently recording and threatening blobfish populations.

According to Konrad Kurta, a spokesman for the mountains towards sea maintenance, blobfish is often caught as an obstacle during the Orange Roughy trawl, another species of deep water.

Kim Jones, co-director of trust, noted that both species face similar threats.

“In some ways, it was appropriate that Blobfish and Orange Roughy were close to the end,” Jones said. “Both live in deep water environments near New Zealand, and the management of orange raw habitats could also benefit blobfish.”

Orange Roughy, which came in second place, is considered a vulnerable species struggling with the decline of the population due to overfishing. New Zealand dominates the Orange Roughy World Market, representing about 80% of all catch.

Among the other contestants in the “Fish of the Year” competition, most were classified as endangered or vulnerable species – except for Blue Cod, which ended in the last place with just 260 votes.

While Blobfish’s victory underlines its cultural appeal, conservationists hope that attention will also increase awareness of the threats facing the deep sea ecosystems.