THE WORLD’S UGLIEST CREATURE

In 2013, this creature was declared the world's ugliest animal and it still holds that title today. On land, it has a gelatinous body and a big frown. However, when it is submerged 9,200 feet below sea level, the water pressure lifts up its flabby body, giving it a slightly more appealing appearance. Despite this change, it is still the same old fish. The water pressure keeps everything in place, including a lot of fluid between its flabby skin and muscles.

David Stein, a deep-sea fish biologist, had the opportunity to dissect 19 blobfishes during the 1970s.

Blobfish are blobby because of the water inside them. They have a layer of gelatinous flesh under their skin that floats outside their muscles. If you pick up a blobfish by the tail, it will flow towards the head.

The water-filled layer in blobfish serves an important purpose by providing buoyancy to the fish, as they lack a swim bladder like other fish. Fish with swim bladders can regulate their buoyancy by releasing or expelling gas.

The fish that lives on the bottom does not require the ability to maintain its buoyancy. While the Jell-O layer may not be a perfect substitute, the blobfish does not need to be a strong swimmer. The predator has a highly specialized hunting strategy that is well-suited for the rocky barrens of the deep sea. It simply remains still and waits for its prey to pass by.

Blobfish have minimal muscle and yellow fat pockets, making them unfit for active movement.

Blobfish have a small amount of red muscle, unlike humans or tuna fish, which enables them to run long distances or migrate across oceans. Instead, they have a large amount of white muscle that allows them to swim short distances and quickly attack any passing prey.

This is a baby blobfish. It is a cleared and stained specimen, which means that all of its tissue has been dissolved to reveal only the bones and cartilage. The thin red lines that you see are the blobfish's bones that have been dyed red. If you are having difficulty seeing the bones, you are not alone.

Blobfish have thinner and more fragile bones compared to shallow-water fish due to their poorly ossified skeletons. This adaptation is advantageous for living in the deep sea, as it conserves energy that would otherwise be spent on building strong bones. Another factor contributing to the blobfish's unique appearance is the development of its jaws.

The fish possesses large jaws that enable it to capture and consume any passing prey, perhaps even smacking its lips as it eats. This leads us to its stomach, where various unexpected objects may end up if you are a creature that consumes anything that swims nearby.

Stein discovered a diverse range of organisms and objects within the blobfish specimen he analyzed, including fish, sea pens, brittle stars, hermit crabs, an anemone, a plastic bag, and numerous rocks.

There is evidence from their stomach contents that suggests they may not be very intelligent.

In addition, he discovered octopus beaks, which are the hard and indigestible jaws of cephalopods. This suggests that a flabby fish has managed to consume one of the most intelligent predators in the sea. If this surprises you, consider the thick skin of the blobfish. Which would be more difficult to grasp during a confrontation: a sack of bones or a sack of gelatin? Stein suspects it could be the second option. Stein explains that if the skin is loose, the suckers may have difficulty gripping it firmly.

The narrator Stein, discovered sucker marks on the blobfish's body, indicating possible involvement in deep-sea conflicts. Despite its unusual appearance, the blobfish is specifically adapted to survive in the deep-sea environment, where aesthetic preferences are likely to differ.

The perception of ugliness is subjective.