Blobfish

Psychrolutes marcidus

Psychrolutes marcidus, also Blobfisch (English: Blobfish ) called, is one of the fathead sculpins ( Psychrolutidae ). The fish comes in the Southwest Pacific, south of 33 ° Southern latitude in the deep sea before.

Features

The up to 30 -centimeter-long animals are monochrome gray. They are color-matched to the way of life on the ocean floor at greater depths. Head and body of Psychrolutes marcidus are in contrast to the type occurring in the northern Pacific Psychrolutes sculpin smooth.

Habitat

The bottom-dwelling fishes live in depths of 600-1200 meters on the continental slopes off Australia from New South Wales to South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. By adapting to the habitat of the deep sea, the structure of their body is mainly composed of a gelatinous mass. You do not need many muscles as they wait half buried in the ground, swims to prey. They feed on crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins and consume the prey little energy and oxygen, which is scarce in deep waters. An only slightly less dense than water allows these fish to float in the water, so to use the lift. This possibility is a deep sea -compatible alternative to the gas-filled swim bladder of other fish species.

Public perception

On September 12, 2013, the Blobfisch on the British Science Festival in Newcastle, after a vote for " ugliest animal in the world " was chosen ( the world 's ugliest animal). In a commentary, the biologist and television reporter Simon Watt said in his capacity as President of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society that he hoped that this vote campaign the attention of the public to the dangers of those " this strange and wonderful creatures " ( thesis weird and wonderful creatures ) were threatened, would direct.