Can the blobfish be eaten? Meet the fish with the world's saddest expression
The blobfish, also known as the sad fish or the smooth-head blobfish, or the blobfish, is called the fish with the “world's saddest expression” because of its mournful face. So can this fish be eaten? According to Australian fisheries data, the blobfish lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, at depths of up to 1200 m on the sea floor. Because its habitat is so hard to reach, it is rarely found by humans. Although the blobfish itself is not suitable for eating, because it lives at the same ocean depths as more delicious marine creatures (such as crabs and lobsters), the blobfish becomes a victim along with them. As fishing activity becomes more frequent, blobfish are often caught together with other fish and shrimp. It is reported that the blobfish will become the official mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in the UK.
To protect endangered ugly animals, British animal protection advocates came up with an idea: launch a “ugliest of the ugly” “ugly” contest. When the results came out, the strange fish living in the deep ocean, the blobfish, “won” first place.
On September 13, 2013, according to British media reports, more than 3000 people took part in an online vote for the world's ugliest animal held by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in the UK, and the blobfish won the championship with 795 votes.
Simon Watt, chairman of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society in the UK and a television presenter, launched this voting campaign on “YouTube”, aiming to raise people's attention to animals that are not cute enough but are on the verge of extinction. To this end, Watt and 11 celebrities and comedy stars filmed a promotional short film, “The World's Ugliest Animals”. The video has received hundreds of thousands of views.
Watt announced the final “ugliest animal” ranking at the “British Science Festival” held in Newcastle, and said the campaign “raised the profile of the creatures in nature that most challenge our sense of aesthetics”. Watt said: “People all know giant pandas, snow leopards, tigers and lions, and think those are what we care about. In fact, in the era we live in now, about 200 species tend toward extinction every day, and we must pay attention to other endangered animals.”
The blobfish, which tops the “ugliest” list, has a gelatinous body and can grow to about 30 cm. It lives on the sea floor 600 m to 1200 m deep off southeastern Australia and is rarely found by humans. The blobfish has no muscles, and its deep-sea activity relies entirely on that buoyant, gelatinous flesh.