What Do Blobfish Eat?

Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) are deep-sea fish that thrive in deepwater high-pressure environments, between 2,000 and 4,000 feet deep, in which they appear normal. However, when brought to the surface, the dramatic drop in pressure causes their gelatinous bodies to expand, lose their structural support, and collapse into a saggy, blob-like shape. Unlike many other fish, blobfish lack a swim bladder (an air-filled sac used for buoyancy) and instead rely on their jelly-like flesh to remain buoyant. Because they lack a swim bladder and have a gelatinous, low-density body, blobfish can conserve energy at extreme depths. They are passive, lie-in-wait predators that allow food to drift directly into their mouths. Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about what blobfish eat.

What do Blobfish Eat?

Blobfish are true generalists that survive on limited nutrients at extreme depths in the ocean. Their diet consists of deep-sea organic matter, including crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins, which pass by them in their high-pressure, dark habitat.

In their deepwater habitat, blobfish primarily eat carrion and debris. When a creature dies in the water, its carcass is often picked apart and left to sink to the ocean floor. When it reaches the bottom, scavengers, including blobfish, feed on the remains. These deep-sea carrion feeders play an essential role in the ecosystem.

Another food source similar to sea carrion is marine snow. This nutrient-rich sediment falls downward, transferring energy from the sunlit upper layers to the dark, lower layers. Marine snow is composed of decomposing organic matter such as phytoplankton, fecal matter, and algae.

In addition to decomposing meat, blobfish eat crabs and other crustaceans. Since blobfish aren’t very fast, they usually eat live prey, including small crabs, only by chance,

Blobfish also likely feed on urchins, shellfish, and sea pens. Although sea urchins are spiny, blobfish can eat them if they are small enough. Small shellfish and sea pens may also be eaten if they are unfortunate enough to be sucked up by a blobfish.

Foods blobfish eat include:

• dead meat
• sea carrion
• small crabs
• sea urchins
• sea pens
• shellfish
• marine snow
• gastropods

How do Blobfish Hunt?

Blobfish simply open their mouths and ingest any organic matter they encounter as they float around. Whether it’s a small crab or a long-dead fish, as long as it’s organic, they will eat it.. Whether it’s a small crab or a long-dead fish matters little; as long as it’s organic, they will eat it. Known as the lie-in-wait strategy, this method of hunting is incredibly common in the deep sea.

Blobfish are found off the coasts of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, although they are rarely seen. At these incredible depths, blobfish live where the pressure is 60 to 120 times greater than at the surface. Their bodies are adapted to function in the highly pressurized deep sea, where they look like typical deep-sea-dwelling fish. Bringing them to the surface distorts their shape, stretching and contorting them into gelatinous pink blobs that appear comically sad or disfigured due to severe decompression damage known as barotrauma.

Do Blobfish Have Predators?

Blobfish have no known natural predators besides humans. They are considered highly vulnerable and potentially endangered due to deep-sea trawling. Their population is threatened by being caught as bycatch in Australian and New Zealand fishing nets. Because they have adapted to life in the deep, they die from the pressure changes as the nets are pulled to the surface.