This is the start of my 2 week vacation so these posts have been prepared ahead of time. You know I just can’t abandon my loyal readers just because I am on holidays. As usual, when I am away, I like to think of themes for Wild Facts! A buddy of mine just returned from Hawaii and mentioned that he had seen all kinds of interesting fish. This got me thinking that I should make a week of Wild Facts dedicated to the unique fish that reside in the ocean. I am sure I could make 1000 Wild Facts but we will limit it to five…. for now. I would love to tell you the theme for the second week but I haven’t thought of it yet. So onto the fish!
The first fish is called a Blobfish for obvious reasons. This unique fish lives off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania at depths between 600 – 1200 metres (1968 – 3937 feet). As you can imagine, life at these great depths would be very difficult. The pressure would be about 80 times greater at these depths compared to at sea-level. This intense pressure makes gas-chambered, swim bladders completely ineffective since the gases that help normal fish control their buoyancy are too condensed at this level.
For the reasons mentioned above the blobfish doesn’t have a swim bladder and doesn’t have any muscles. What they do have though is a jelly-like flesh that has a lower density than water. This allows them to float just above the ocean floor. Without any muscles the blobfish is not a very active fish. Instead it just sits there swallowing any food matter that floats by. This method works well for the blobfish as it expends very little energy. I guess it is the equivalent of us relaxing on the couch watching football while you are served nachos, pizza and beer. Aaaah, the good life!
Well that is all for today but make sure you come back tomorrow for another unusual fish fact.
I’m thinking that last paragraph makes him a total guy fish 😉 Vimeo has some awesome underwater videos I’ve been watching, and I’d have to say that the deep blue definitely gets my vote as the ultimate habitat for some serious weird (but totally cool as well!)
hahahaha! It definitely seems like a guy fish, doesn’t it?
I agree with you about the underwater world. It is just so amazing and there is so much we don’t know about beneath the sea. I can’t wait to see what is discovered next.
Just give him a remote and he’s all set!
hahahaha! He would most likely lose the remote in the couch cushions or something of that sort!
This one made me laugh. I think I have some of the funniest readers around!
This is your typical couch potato! Underwater that is.
I am just picturing the fish sitting on an underwater couch watching the football game while the female fish nags at him to take out the garbage!
This fish is very wierd but is very intresting to study !
Hi Jackeline,
Thanks for checking out Wild Facts. The Blobfish is definitely one of the more interesting fish species that I know of. It always amazes me just how many unique animals are out there.
@jackeline, yea
Look’s like his girlfriend broke up with him,
hahahahahaha – He does have that look, doesn’t he?
Thanks for stopping by, Kendall.
thanks for the info, im doing this fish for science and i have to find two adaptations, i found one ( gelatinous goo for floating) but do u have an idea for a second?…..if not, thats ok…thanks 🙂
Hi Savannah,
The adaptations for the Blobfish are all fairly similar but play an integral role in their life. For starters the Blobfish does not have a swim bladder (since they would be useless due to the pressure). Similarly they have little to no muscles (which is an adaptation itself) and as a result they don’t really swim. To go along with this adaptation is the creation of a gelatinous substance which allows it to float just above the sea floor. This lets them simply wait and consume any prey that happens to swim by. Since they don’t swim much, they don’t expend much energy. Therefore they actually need less food to fuel their bodies (this allows them the ability to simply sit and wait for food instead of going and looking for it….this is sheer genius if you ask me).
So although, the adaptations all seem similar they are all technically adaptations that needed to happen for this fish to survive the way it does:
1. No Swim Bladder
2. Little to no muscle
3. Gelatinous Substance
4. Sedentary Lifestyle
5. Less Energy Required
Best of luck with the report and don’t hesitate to e-mail me or leave another comment if you have any other questions.
quite strange indeed
It looks like a dude’s face. (Without the skin *shudder*)
It looks like he is very glum ans board
hahaha… I know, eh! The Blobfish looks so sad!
I mean (and is)
I am wondering what the fish takes in and what the fish discharges. Could this fish act like a filter? most things in water tend to go to the bottom , except of course for plastics and gaseous things, so is that part of this fish’s “role” in this great universe? If so, how awesome would it be to cultivate and use for natural “sewage” treatment waste transformation. Just thinking out loud.
I want to know if this fish is capable of smiling. I have been looking all over the net. Dose anybody know?
why does the blob fish not smile?
I want to study Blobfish and learn more about Blobfish.
the blobfish is so cool!!!!
XD. This fish looks so funny I can`t stop laughing. (Out of pity)