Blobfish Conservation Status: Are Blobfish Endangered?

Have you ever seen a blobfish?

Blobfish are so strange and fantastic that they’ve become internet sensations. Worldwide, people are sharing photos of these amazing creatures. This is great for the species since it raises awareness about how fascinating and rare these fish are.

But despite their recent rise to fame, the blobfish numbers are still declining. These mysterious creatures could disappear forever unless people work together to protect them.

Are blobfish endangered? Read on to learn about blobfish conservation efforts and their most significant threats.

Are Blobfish an Endangered Species?

Blobfish are an endangered species. The blobfish (or smooth-head blobfish) numbers are on the decline. Amazingly, even though these fish lay thousands of eggs, only a few larvae survive to adulthood. As a result of this, combined with overfishing and deep-sea trawling, the population of blobfish is on a sharp decline.

Understanding Blobfish Species

There are nine species of blobfish. All members of the Psychrolutes genus live in deep underwater environments. They live near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and California in deep ocean waters.

Deep underwater, blobfish aren’t floppy. Despite their seemingly formless shape on land, the pressure of the deep sea gives the blobfish a gelatinous shape and buoyancy. They have a soft structure that allows them to swim gracefully in their environment.

Blobfish became famous after a discovery in 2003, and they have since gained much attention from scientists and the public alike. However, in 1926, scientists had already officially classified the species. Even though they weren’t popular before, once captured, their odd looks made them famous worldwide.

How Many Blobfish Are in the World?

There are approximately 420 blobfish left in the world. Their numbers may have been in the hundreds of thousands once. But problems with their habitat and accidental catches are threatening these fish.

The few hundred blobfish that are around lead lazy lifestyles, not swimming unless they absolutely must. They barely have any muscle and rely on their gelatinous bodies to float around their deep-sea environment.

How Long Do Blobfish Live?

Blobfish have a lifespan of 100 years. Sometimes they live far longer.

Blobfish are endangered, but the ones alive will be here for a while! As long as they have the right living conditions, blobfish can reach 130 years or older. Their slow movement and lack of need for food make them some of the longest-living species on Earth. As a result, it’s essential to take extra precautions when fishing in the deep seas where blobfish can be found.

Blobfish Baby Problems

One of the blobfish’s problems is that they can’t reproduce fast enough to replenish their species. This is because there aren’t enough of them left in the world. The blobs swimming around are doing everything they can to boost their numbers.

Blob Babies

Have you ever seen a blobfish baby? They look like mini-versions of their parents! The oversized pink tadpoles are believed to number between 9,000 and 110,000 eggs. The parent blobfish will stay with the eggs floating on the sea floor. This is unique among fishes since most of them lay their eggs away from the adults.

Blobfish Environmental Threats

Blobfish live so deep in the ocean that they don’t have any predators. The only environmental threats are the fishing nets that might accidentally scoop them up. On top of this, blobfish thrive in cold waters, which could put them at risk from warming oceans caused by global climate change.

Where Can Blobfish Survive?

Blobfish have comically cute faces and are even more adorable as babies. Their popularity is causing some people to ask, “can I have a blobfish as a pet?”.

Blobfish aren’t good pets; they’d become a gooey mess in the aquarium. They need the pressure of the deep sea to survive, which is something they can’t get in a home aquarium. Plus, capturing and selling live blobfish is illegal, so buying one could potentially lead you into legal trouble.

It makes sense why people want blobfish as pets. They look so exciting and full of personality. The photos you see of them make blobfish appear to be comical characters you could enjoy knowing.

Sometimes, anthropomorphizing fish will lead to people wanting them as pets. After Finding Nemo came out, hundreds of thousands of clownfish were pulled from the coral reefs. Overfishing activity like this threatens a species even when it’s not endangered.

Are Blobfish Overfished?

Fishing activity threatens blobfish. But it’s not because commercial boats are trying to catch these deep-dwelling jellies. Blobfish are so slow they have difficulty avoiding large nets and other fishing equipment. Sometimes a net accidentally catches them, and even a few catches are a problem.

Due to their population size being so small, there is always a risk of overfishing. If caution isn’t taken when fishing in areas where blobfish can be found, then the species may not be able to recover its population. Anglers need to consider the presence of this vulnerable deep-sea fish when fishing in its established habitat.

Overcoming Conservation Bias

One of the biggest problems blobfish are facing is conservation bias. Certain species like pandas and koalas are easy to raise awareness for. They’re so cute and fluffy!

But big blobby fish don’t always get the love they need from the public’s eye. The good news is that odd creatures are trending. Organizations like the Ugly Animal Preservation Society are campaigning for the much-needed protection of these flabby fish.

Do People Eat Blobfish?

You can’t order blobfish at a restaurant, and you wouldn’t want to! Blobfish aren’t commercial fish for several reasons. They’re an endangered species, and they don’t taste good.

A few rare blobfish tasters report the fish being mild, bland, and lacking flavor. One thought it tasted like lobster tail, but they were likely exaggerating. Blobfish probably has almost no flavor at all. Their jelly bodies are filled with air and organs that don’t make for a good meal.

Do Blobfish Have Enough Food Sources?

Blobfish live in an area of the ocean that doesn’t have a lot of food. This is because there isn’t light, and many other sea creatures cannot survive in deep dark areas. For this reason, blobfish have to make do with whatever food they can find and scavenge on the ocean floor. This includes crabs, small fish, shrimp, and jellyfish that live in the ocean depths where they are found.

Scientists believe these creatures can survive on a minimal food source due to their slow movements and energy conservation. The water pressure is so great that it compresses their organs and flesh, allowing them to live without much energy expenditure. They also absorb nutrients from the surrounding water and feed on small crustaceans.

Despite this, they still have to search for food, as much of the marine environment is relatively barren. Most of their meals wind up floating right up to their mouths. It’s then the lazy blobfish scoops them up with its giant mouth!

Blobfish Conservation Status: Endangered

There you have it! The full scoop on the blobfish conservation status. These gelatinous blobs are endangered and need our help. Blobfish numbers are diminishing mainly due to accidental catches.

The good news is conservation efforts are underway to protect these strange fish. Now, you can help save the blobs, too, by raising awareness.

By encouraging people to learn about these fantastic creatures, we can raise awareness and do our part in preserving the species. With conservation efforts and education about blobfish, we can help bring this species back from the brink of extinction and ensure they continue to exist for future generations!

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © World-Wide-Photography/Shutterstock.com