This unusual fish, known scientifically as Psychrolutes marcidus, lives in the deep waters off New Zealand and Australia. It thrives under high pressure, adapting with a body unlike most fish. Instead of a swim bladder, full skeleton, muscles, or scales, the blobfish has gelatinous tissue. Because its body is less dense than water, it easily floats above the seafloor.

Slow but Resilient

According to Konrad Kurta from the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the blobfish can live up to 130 years. It grows and moves slowly, conserving energy. “It sort of sits there and waits for prey to come very close and practically walk into its mouth before it eats them,” Kurta explains.

A Devoted Parent

Blobfish also show strong parenting instincts. Females lay up to 100,000 eggs in one nest and guard them until they hatch. This level of care is rare among deep-sea fish. More than a decade ago, a New Zealand research team photographed a blobfish, making it famous. Its unusual appearance quickly became an internet sensation, spreading through meme culture.

A Strange Transformation

Underwater pressure keeps the blobfish’s body intact. At those depths, it looks like a regular, though puffy, fish. But when pulled to the surface, the sudden pressure change distorts its shape. Kurta describes it as resembling “a failed medical experiment.” He explains, “Regrettably, when it is pulled up … that sudden decompression causes it to become all disfigured.”

Conservation Concerns

Researchers still know little about the blobfish’s conservation status. However, deep-sea trawling threatens both its habitat and population. Kurta warns, “Blobfish are fairly frequently pulled up from the bottom-trawling of orange roughy.” This fishing method harms fragile ecosystems and disrupts marine life.

A Popular Competition

The Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust launched the Fish of the Year contest in 2020, inspired by the well-known Bird of the Year competition. In 2025, the event saw record participation, with 5,583 votes—far more than the 1,021 votes from the previous year. The blobfish won with 1,286 votes, beating the orange roughy by 300 votes. Despite strong support for the orange roughy from groups like Greenpeace and Forest & Bird, the blobfish took the top spot.

A Win for Conservation

Aaron Packard from the Environmental Law Initiative celebrated the result. “We are very pleased for the blobfish. From an ecosystem perspective, a win for blobfish is a win for orange roughy,” he said.

Protecting Vulnerable Species

New Zealand plays a key role in global fisheries, catching about 80% of the world’s orange roughy. Conservationists push for stricter regulations to prevent habitat destruction and overfishing. Other finalists included the longfin eel, called tuna in Māori, the pygmy pipehorse, and a critically endangered mud-fish. Sharks and rays also competed. Kurta highlights the importance of protecting these species, noting that 85% of New Zealand’s marine and freshwater fish are vulnerable. “That [these fish] exist is often the first step to getting people invested and interested in what’s happening below the waterline,” he says.