Reproduction/Pregnancy
Citations
"BlobFish - 10 Facts." IPFactly. N.p., 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
<http://ipfactly.com/blobfish/>.
"WeirdFins." WeirdFins. NOAA, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/rss/podcasts/weirdfins/blobfish.htm>.
"Who Swims with the Blobfish?: Anthropomorphic Bias in Conservation."
The Morningside Review. N.p., 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://morningsidereview.org/essay/who-swims-with-the-blobfish-anthropomorphic-bias-in-conservation/>.
"Life in the Deep Sea." Sailors for the Sea. N.p., 01 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://sailorsforthesea.org/resources/ocean-watch/life-deep-sea>.
"Organism Interaction." Biology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://lakeithmobleyhonorsproject.weebly.com/organism-interaction.html>.
"Blobfish." Blobfish. Google Sites. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
<https://sites.google.com/a/pvlearners.net/blobfish/physical-description-of-blobfish>.
"Blobfish Facts." Facts.net. Facts.net. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://facts.net/blobfish-facts/>.
- The female blobfish can lay thousands of pink eggs on the ocean floor.
- Either the female or male will then guard the eggs.
- Since the blobfish lives in an area with no plants or caves, a parent must watch and guard the eggs at all times.
Many female blobfish will even nest near each other!
- The Blobfish are a threatened species that suffer from being incaptured by fishermen and their trawling nets; their skin is sensitive so it is easily destroyed and puts the fish at a vulnerable state.
Description
Overall Gelatinous Appearance & Pale Pink
- Gelatinous fish; body is based on lack of bones and muscles
- Can grow up to 12 inches (size of a comic book)
- Part of a group/family called “Fat Heads” based on the size of their large heads; some can be categorized under "Toad Head" (Psychorlutes marmoratus)
- Blobfish save their energy (and swimming) by floating above the seafloor
- Dark Eyes and Tiny Fins
- Inedible (towards humans)
- Able to withstand 1,000m of pressure
- Tend to wait for floating bacteria
Tiny Fins
Small, Black Eyes
Frowned/Down-turned mouth
Behavior
- Basically apathetic and non aggressive
- It also does not bite due to not having any teeth
Blobfish
- Scientific name: Psychrolutes marcidus
- Higher classification: Psychrolutes
- Family name come from the Greek term “psychroluteo”, which means to ‘have a cold bath’
Diet
FUN FACT!
- In 2013, this fish was deemed as the World's Ugliest animal.
- Eats mostly tiny mollusks, sea urchins, and small, tinier crabs
- Considered “lazy eaters” because the blobfish is not able to hunt and therefore waits patiently for food to come towards it. It opens its mouth and just sucks in whatever food source might swim past it.
Relationship(s)
Habitat/Geographic Range
- The blobfish has a mutualistic relationship to the giant crab. This crab lays eggs within the fish’s gill chamber; it’s beneficial for the crab(s) because the blobfish consumes the parasites that attempt to attack the eggs, while the blobfish benefits by receiving food.
- Are commonly found in deep waters in New Zealand and Australia
- Found and live in depths up to 2000-3900ft below sea level
- Benthic Zone of Southwest Pacific Waters