Weird Animals - the Blobfish
74Who do I remind you of?
The Blobfish
Does the strange, mournful-looking blobfish remind you of someone? Perhaps your Uncle Louie? Maybe. Or does this peculiar-looking creature remind you of a cartoon character? Do you remember the big-nosed Ziggy in newspaper comic strips? *
The Psychrolutes Marcidus (formal name of the blobfish) lives in the extreme depths of the sea off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. This saltwater fish may be the ugliest fish in the ocean. It looks like a mass of gelatin with wide lips and a large bulbous nose between two very tiny eyes and a constant expression of distaste. If you looked like that you would be perpetually scowling, too.
You will probably never see one in the gelatinous flesh because it lives at extreme depths of the ocean and is rarely seen by humans except for the local fishermen who catch them by trawling the sea bottom with nets. The blobfish can withstand the high pressure (80 times higher than at sea level) because its body is jelly-like and has a density just less than water. This means that the blobfish can float just above the sea bottom using very little energy. The food they eat simply floats right by them and they can pick and choose which tasty morsels they want as if they were in a deep-sea cafeteria.
* If the cartoon figure, Ziggy, is not familiar to you, here's a bit of background. Ziggy is a small, bald, pant-less, barefoot and almost featureless creature except for his tremendous nose - like the blobfish. He was originally drawn by a college student and was given the name, Zigfried Schlump. Tom Wilson, an executive at American Greetings, discovered him, renamed him Ziggy and drew the popular comic strip from 1971 to 1987.
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© Copyright BJ Rakow 2010, 2011. All rights reserved. Author, "Much of What You Know about Job Search Just Ain't So" - a serious book about dynamic job search strategies written with a light-hearted touch.
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Thank you, C.W., for the kind words. I, too, am fascinated by weird animals, weird fish, weird people, etc. Will be profiling other weird animals in future hubs like the Star-Nosed Mole, the Komondor dog, et al. Let me know what you think 'bout my Hub on the platypus.
LOL...I remember Ziggy!!! What a great hub! I'm always up for learning about an kind of animal...even the ones that aren't cuddly or adorable. :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the lovely comment.
You might also like to take a look at the Anglerfish, Star Nose Mole, Naked Mole Rat and the other 6 of my hubs about weird animals. I love learning and writing about them, too.
No surprise that mother nature stuck this little beauty fathoms deep. You ever noticed how anything seriously unattractive or mildly scary looking is often hidden from public view or only comes out at night? Blobfish, Big Foot, Vampires?
When Mother Nature makes a mistake she ... hides it. You go girl! I always hid my crap in the trash can, under the carpet and inside the closet.
By the way, the blobfish isn't weird. He's just - unfortunate and misunderstood. And very very ugly :)
You're absolutely right on about Mother Nature hiding her mistakes.
If you take a look at my Hub about the Anglerfish which is tiny but scary-looking, you will read that this amazing creature lives at the very deepest depths of the ocean.
And even though the blobfish is ugly, ugly, there is, to me, something plaintive-looking about its expression. Almost like, if I can be anthropomorphic for a moment, "l'm not really as grouchy as I look. I'm just looking for love."
If it's looking for love drbj, it needs to look harder. Harsh but true. Call me the Simon Cowell of hubpages but ugly is as ugly does.
It might cop a pity friend though :)
Maybe, just maybe, a female blobfish looks attractive to the male and vice versa? Else where would all the lil blobfishes come from?
And the blobfish does have very tiny eyes . . . and there isn't much light at the bottom of the sea.
is the blobfish suposed to be scarey
Only if you think so. Actually, I think it's just sad and misunderstood. But it is definitely not handsome.
Thanks for the visit, crazykuhl. Take a look at my hub on the Dung Beetle. Do you think it is scary?
Fascinating series of wierd animals drbj! Wierd and wonderful! This one in particular is most interesting to me, really does look like a grumpy face:) I would'nt call it ugly since I'm still not quite sure what the definition of this word is in relation to all of the earths creatures..humans included.All creatures are beautiful some just more beautiful than others...he even appears symmetrical too! so classically he could be certified beautiful:)
I dunno, Tim, if I would certify the blobfish beautiful. Interesting, yes. Different, yes. Strange, yes. Unusual, yes. On the weird side, yes.
But I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, so for your sake, I'll say he's just this side of uncanny.
Thanks for stopping by - especially in the midst of World Cup.
No worries drbj! Call him as you see him:) I'm just trying to see the beauty in all things today. No games on right now so I'm free:)
Bye for now!
Tim
WOW is that thing really that weird and ugly, sorry but I'm sure the weird blobfish would think I'm wierd and ugly too, great and interesting find, thanks for sharing.
'Sfunny, you say that, katie. The first time I saw a photo of the blobfish I thought this strangely weird and unappetizing-looking fish must have been photo-shopped. It couldn't actually look that bad. But it really does.
Thanks for the visit and the comment. My pleasure.
EEK! That creature is... indescribable. It looks kind of like Doug (that cartoon character)... if Doug's face was all out of proportion and icky!!! Yikes! Thanks for creeping me out, Dr. BJ. hehe.
No thanks necessary, kal. It was my pleasure to creep you out. Indescribable is the perfect word for the Blobfish. You have to see it to believe it.
...gee when you mentioned weird animals I thought you meant some of the other hubbers/hubbettes who prowl around these pages - lol
...and yes they say a picture tells a thousand words - well I don't think there are a thousand words to describe how ugly this poor guy is - I wonder how he does on 'blind dates' - well I guess I know how he must feel but luckily for him and me - beauty is only skin deep - and thanks for your enlightening hub here on weird animals - and of course your hall of fame poetic comments!!!
Colin - it seems that guy blobfish do not have a problem finding gal blobfish. It's that old "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" thing. Now if the blobfish were trying to date a sleek red snapper or a pretty pink salmon, that might be a different story. Thank you for finding this "weird" lil guy - I appreciate your poetic comments as well.
wow, weird yet intriguing hub
You are my kind of visitor, cons11. Weird yet intriguing is the way some folks often characterize me. I mean, my hubs.
it's amazing and scary at the same time!!!!
Spot on, krema, that's what many people say when they first meet me! :)
You are right it is weird can you eat THAT:
Yes, rafken, m'dear, blobfish is a delicacy and is sold at a premium in Asian fish markets. It is really ugly to look at but it is said to be good to eat.
I adopted a blobfish, set up a deep-sea aquarium at great expense, then gave it the End Tiredness Program repeatedly for several fortnights. Results were inconsistent, until one day I looked in the tank and saw this: http://tinyurl.com/48ncw98
OMG - nicomp. Have you submitted your findings to the National Institutes of Surreal Fish Studies. If not, do so ASAP. And thanks for that remarkable photo.
I have applied for a grant to study at the University of Feenix.
Wow! Never heard of a blobfish before, although we've caught some pretty weird creatures while ocean fishing. Rated up!
Hi, Holle. The blobfish is a very weird creature that lives very, very deep in the ocean so it's not surprising that you have not yet caught one. Are you using blobfish-approved bait?
Thanks, dear, for the up rating.
Wow, that's one UGLY fish. Thank goodness he hides deep under the sea. Awesome, fun and interesting hub.
He is pretty disgusting looking, isn't he? Although to a female blobfish, who knows? He may be handsome. To each his own.
Thanks for the very gracious comments - delighted you enjoyed this.
Wow, that's one ugly looking ______________!... I've eaten all different kinds of fish, don't think I can stomach this one though. Nice hub
Thank you, John, for visiting the Blobfish. I won't mention your description to him - he's kinda sensitive about his looks. But as ungly as he looks, I'm told that blobfish is a delicacy in some Asian markets. Who knew?
My goodness! I went to your hub and the first thing that I saw was that amazing face! Thank you for the interesting information and for the great photo.
Thank you for the visit, Alcia. Hope that amazing face didn't scare you. A first introduction to the weird blobfish can be upsetting.
And no thanks are necessary, m'dear, the pleasure is entirely mine.
Drbj, I must agree, the blobfish is certainly not one of the most attractive creatures in the ocean, but so interesting. I’m in awe of nature and the ability of specific creatures to survive in specific environments. Between me and you, I see myself clearly in the blobfish.... sometimes when I float just above the bottom of my conscious mind, checking the carcasses of my bad memories. I’m looking forward to your next interview with weird creatures.
It's true, Martie, the blobfish would never win a beauty contest. But it is said to be a very tasty fish. I might try it some day if it is not staring me in the face. That mournful look would be much too difficult to face.
As to dredging up bad memories from below your consciousness, my advice is succinct: "Fugeddaboudit!" You have too much that is positive and healthy in your future to spend one moment in an unhappy past. I have spoken!
I'm pretty sure the Blobfish is dead in that picture, they seem much less unhappy when swimming deep in the ocean.
You are very perceptive, Maddie. Yes, the blobfish in the picture is no longer living. There are few photos of live blobfish since they live so deep in the ocean - until they are caught, of course.
C. Whitaker 2 years ago
Very interesting, I've always been fascinated by strange animals. Nice job