Blobfish overcomes notoriety as ‘world’s ugliest animal’ to win New Zealand’s ‘fish of the year’

Blobfish are said to take on their so-called "ugly" appearance once they are removed from the water because they don't have strong bones or thick muscles to keep their shape. It is the water pressure that maintains their relatively normal appearance in the depths of the sea. (NOAA/Alaska Fisheries Science Center via CNN Newsource)

It has been a dramatic change of fortunes for the blobfish. Back in 2013, the gelatinous sea creature was declared the world’s ugliest animal.

But now it has been voted New Zealand’s “fish of the year” in a competition aimed at raising awareness of the country’s marine life and its fragile ecosystem.

Organized by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the annual event seeks to familiarize New Zealanders with the wide variety of fish living in the country’s fresh and sea water environments.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), blobfish – which grow to about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long – “look like a big, blobby tadpole, just a mass of pale, jelly-like flesh with puffy, loose skin, a big nose and beady, staring eyes.”

They are found mainly off the coast of southeastern Australia and Tasmania and usually reside at depths of 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 meters).

Votes were submitted on the website of the not-for-profit trust for just over two weeks this month, with the polls closing on March 16.

A total of 5,583 votes were cast in all. The blobfish, which is considered vulnerable, emerged victorious, beating its nearest rival – the orange roughy – by almost 300 votes.

According to the trust’s announcement of the news, the orange roughy looked set for victory until its uglier rival won the backing of New Zealand radio network More FM.

Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn, hosts of the station’s Drive show, said: “We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines. The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusc to come through to eat. He has been bullied his whole life and we thought, ‘stuff this, it’s time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun’, and what a glorious moment it is!”

Kim Jones, co-director of the trust, said it was “a battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish’s unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line.”

Speaking ahead of the event, Jones explained the idea behind the initiative: “Many of our freshwater and marine fish are found nowhere else in the world. With climate change and land use patterns putting significant strain on our waterways, many of our fish are at risk of disappearing forever.”