The blur fish It is known as one of the ugliest fish in the world. Its scientific name is Psychrolutes marcidus and is found in the depths of the ocean. Its gelatinous texture It makes it a rather strange and curious fish, as well as horrendous. It seems as if it were some kind of deep-sea monster.
In this article you will know all the secrets of the blot fish, from where he lives to his most important curiosities. Want to know more about him?
Key features
This fish has a quite strange appearance given the type of skin it has. It's like a jellyfish. Its average length is usually around 30 cm (with specimens that can slightly exceed this figure), so it is not one of the largest on the seabed, but it is striking due to its shape. It needs its jelly-like skin to survive in the highly pressurized underwater environments. Therefore, when it comes to the surface, since it doesn't have the pressure of the water at depth, all the jelly "falls" and the body loses its shape.
It is a fish that has hardly any strength due to its low density and reduced musculature. It has had to adapt over the years and evolution to this type of environment where sunlight does not reach and nutrients are scarce. At first, when there were a few fleeting sightings, scientists began to doubt its existence, given its bizarre appearance. More than a real fish, it looked like a hallucination typical of a movie.
As for its morphology, we find a large head which helps it float better, combined with its low density and narrow fins. Its appearance becomes even more ugly when you see its enormous, water-drop-shaped nose as it falls. Hence, this fish is also known as drop fishThe eyes also have a gelatinous texture and look like two black shirt buttons.
Su low body density and mass, helps them float and stay alive in the abyssal depths of the oceans. Unlike many other fish, has no swim bladder same as him goblin fish. The swim bladder is an organ that many fish have in common and that serves to continue floating adrift without the need to make any effort to remain in the water. The smudge fish, having a very low density and the skin in the form of jelly, does not need this organ to continue living in the sea.
In addition, it belongs to the order Scorpaeniformes and the family Psychrolutidae, a group de peces Deep-sea fish with light bones and little muscle. In its natural environment, the fish maintains a more compact silhouette and does not look as deformed; deformation seen on the surface It is the result of decompression and the absence of external pressure that maintains its structure on the seabed.
Adaptations to the marine environment
Fish that live in fairly large depths have to endure high water pressuresThe blobfish has developed a special type of skin that adapts to all the inconveniences found in these areas. Sunlight doesn't reach it or it reaches it very little, so this terrain is a continuous struggle for survivalThe blobfish is able to live at these depths thanks to its skin type and low density.
One of its most notable adaptations is the near-neutral buoyancy: its flesh, with a density slightly less than water, and the predominance of soft tissues (with high water and lipid content) allow it to wander effortlessly At sea level. By not using a swim bladder (which would collapse at great depths), it avoids investing energy in regulating its position and reduces the risk of damage due to pressure changes.
It is considered the ugliest fish in the world because, when it comes to the surface, the jelly on its body softens and it looks like a deformity more like an extraterrestrial being than a common fish on our planet. As for temperatures, it is most comfortable in areas where temperatures are around 2 to 9 ºC, typical of temperate-cold waters of great depth.
At its core, its anatomy resembles a large tadpole: bulbous head, dark eyes and feathery pectoral fins that help it lean on the bed or to make small postural adjustments. Their skeleton is light, with low-density bones, and their musculature is reduced, which fits with a strategy of extreme energy savings.
Therefore, when he is dragged to the surface, the sudden decompression causes his skin to relax, his features to distort and the gelatinous tissue to collapse on itself, creating the famous look that went viral around the world in photos.
Habitat and area of distribution
The range of the blobfish extends into the deeper waters between the coasts of the continental part of Australia y Tasmania. It is in these areas where its abundance is greatest, although it is very difficult to spot it. It has also been seen swimming in the depths of the waters of New Zealand.
Being a fish that lives in the depths, it is quite difficult to see one without adequate equipment to descend into the oceans. We can find it at depths of between 600 and 1200 meters, with reports placing it at around 400 to 1700 meters depending on the area and local conditions. If you've ever been scuba diving, you'll notice that water pressure increases enormously as we sink. Imagine the pressure it must be at 1200 meters.
It is a kind benthic (bottom-associated), which prefers soft bottoms and continental slopes where suspended organic matter can offer feeding opportunities. In biogeographic terms, it is considered endemic from the Australian region (with coastal records from areas such as Broken Bay in New South Wales to South Australia and Tasmania) and the New Zealand region for species of the same complex.
It should be clarified that the name "blobfish" can refer to Various species of the family Psychrolutidae. While Psychrolutes marcidus It is primarily associated with Australia and Tasmania, its relative Psychrolutes micropores It has been documented in waters of New ZealandThis detail explains some of the confusion in the images and observations shared in the media and on social media.
Food and behavior
Its diet is quite varied despite the conditions in which it lives. It is possibly capable of eating everything it can, since food is scarce in these marine areas. Any organism that float nearby its or suspended in water serves as food. Sea urchins, large quantities and varieties of molluscs y crustaceans are part of their varied diet.
The lack of muscle is not an impediment to feeding, since mainly ingests any edible matter that passes in front, with a preference for deep-sea crustaceans and small sea snails. This strategy is typical of deep-sea predators that they lurk without pursuing actively, saving energy to the maximum.
Although it does not have teeth that are used to grind food before incorporating it into its stomach, it has no problems digesting it. digestive system It is quite developed and has great corrosive power to synthesize all ingested foods.
Behaviorally, the blotted fish moves the bare minimum. It usually remains perched on the bottom or suspended at a very low height, allowing itself to be carried by the currents and making short movements with its pectoral fins. This slowness is a survival strategy in a resource-poor environment.
Their physiology is tuned so that their density be very close to that of the surrounding water, allowing it to hover effortlessly and avoid large vertical oscillations. This stable buoyancy compensates for the absence of a swim bladder and the limited rigidity of his skeleton.
Threats of the smudge fish
Videographer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCNv6uq278c
It is thought that because these fish live at extreme depths they are not threatened by anyone. However, they are in danger due to the human hand. The technique of bottom trawl is capable of reaching such depths and occasionally specimens of blobfish are caught accidentally. Moreover, not only are some specimens caught, but destroys the habitat where they live.
Sometimes, the currents caused by these fishing boats move it to other depths than damage your body and reduces their survival rate. Even when they are returned to the sea, decompression stress and physical damage can cause do not resist the return to the bottom.
It is unclear whether their population is abundant or small, partly because their deep world is difficult to study. Still, their possible limited distribution area and repeated bycatch suggest that any sustained pressure could affect their populations. Measures such as limit drag in sensitive areas and protecting slopes with high benthic vulnerability would help reduce the impact.
In addition to fishing, global threats such as acidification and the heating of the oceans can alter food availability, water chemistry and the structure of deep habitats, affecting species adapted to very stable temperature ranges.
Reproduction and life cycle
The reproduction of the blobfish has not been documented in detail due to the difficulty of observing it in its environment. However, in the family Psychrolutidae, some have been described. laying thousands of eggs deposited on rocks or other bottom substrates. Some observations indicate that the females can group together and nest close together, possibly to enhance egg protection.
It is likely to show a strategy of late maturity and relatively long life, as is the case with many deep-sea fish. This pattern implies a recovery very slow in the face of fishing impacts or habitat disturbances, so high mortality in a short period of time can leave traces for decades.
Regarding early development, the exact appearance of young in the wild is unknown. The lack of reliable records has led to confusing or unverified images on the Internet. It is reasonable, in comparison with related species, that juveniles maintain a more compact shape and that the marked gelatinization of the body is accentuated by deep benthic life.
Taxonomy, related species and popular culture
The term “blobfish” is used to describe both Psychrolutes marcidus as well as other closely related species within the family Psychrolutidae, such as Psychrolutes microporesThis diversity explains why photographs and distribution data are sometimes mixed. The "teardrop" shape and gelatinous collapse upon emerging from the water are shared traits among these close relatives.
Her internet fame arose from photographs taken outside her natural environment, when her body collapses from lack of pressure. In this state, her humanoid face with a large nose and a drooping expression, which earned him epithets that contributed to his popularity. A well-known educational entity, the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, popularized it by using it as a symbol of the need to protect uncharismatic species which also play a role in ecosystems.
Even official bodies have described its appearance with very graphic comparisons, evoking a teardrop-shaped tadpole with pale, gelatinous flesh, loose skin, a large nose, and small, beady eyes. Furthermore, its iconography has transcended the popular culture, appearing as a reference in video games and entertainment media, which reinforces its aura of being both enigmatic and sympathetic.
Curiosities
Despite its horrendous appearance, it is not so ugly when it is found at the bottom of the ocean. This is due to the pressure changes from the water. Because it has less pressure when it comes to the surface, it takes on a more gelatinous and somewhat deformed appearance.
- It is not active at all. These fish are too boring. By not having much to do, evolution has led them to know how to save energy.
- Since it has neither dense bones ni teeth, is not able to take a bite.
- It is not edible. As it reaches the surface it becomes more and more gelatinous until it dies.
- Does not have swim bladder due to the water pressure in the area where he lives. He can float and swim without it.
- Its name groups together several closely related species; the most cited is P. marcidus, but it is also mentioned P. micropores in New Zealand waters.
- His “fame” came from photos taken out of the water, when the gelatinous tissue loses support and deforms its features; in its habitat, it looks like a fish normal deep water.
With this information you can learn more about this very special fish. In addition to its striking appearance, the blotched fish is an example of extreme adaptation: It lives stably in cold waters hundreds of meters deep, uses its own tissue to stay buoyant, and has optimized its metabolism to expend almost no energy. It serves as a reminder that life finds creative solutions even in the darkest corners of the ocean.