In defense of the blobfish

Date: September 13, 2013

Source: Smithsonian.com

It’s that time again, when the whole world gathers together to pick on the blobfish.

Yesterday, after the votes were cast and tallied, the blobfish was deemed the world’s ugliest animal. The run-off was led by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society. The Society was looking for a mascot, an ugly mascot, a champion for all the animals out there whose unappealing visages garner them less support then their cute and cuddly brethren. As the Society says: “The panda gets too much attention.”

But though the cause may by noble, we think the world was too hard on our friend the blobfish (or, if you want to call him by his proper name—and really, he’d prefer it if you would!—Psychrolutes marcidus).

Honestly, we think that droopy blobfish up there is actually holding up alright considering everything it’s been through. Psychrolutes marcidus are a deep water fish that live off the coast of Australia, somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 feet beneath the waves. Down there, the pressure is up to 120 times higher than it is at the surface. You wouldn’t want to be down there without an intense submarine. And, likewise, the blobfish really doesn’t like being up here.

For more, go to: blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/09/in-defense-of-the-blobfish/

Posted on Categories Science