Don’t judge a blob by its cover.
Once dubbed the world’s ugliest animal for its soft, lumpy appearance, the blobfish has made a stunning comeback: it was crowned this week as Fish of the Year by a New Zealand environmental group.
The annual competition, held by the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust, aims to raise awareness for New Zealand’s freshwater and marine life.
This year, the blobfish took home the coveted accolade with nearly 1,300 out of more than 5,500 votes cast.
It’s an underdog victory for the blobfish, which burst into mainstream notoriety as the mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in 2013.
The gelatinous fish lives on the sea bed and grows to about 12in (30cm) in length. They’re mainly found off the coast of Australia, where they live at depths of 2,000-4,000 ft (600-1,200m).
While the blobfish is known for its misshapen silhouette, in its natural deep-sea habitat it actually resembles a regular fish, with its shape kept together by the high water pressure.
However, when caught and rapidly brought to the water surface its body deforms into its hallmark mushy shape – the same one that has earned it the reputation of being among the ugliest creatures the world has seen.
(BBC News)
