14 Blobfish Facts for Kids

When many people first see the blobfish, they might first comment on how human and sad their faces appear. Others might comment on how ugly they are. Or, others might comment on the fact that the fish appears to be made of pink gelatin. But are these fish really sad? Most likely not. Here, we will explore the seriously cool world of the blobfish. It might just be a world that is happier than you think!

1. Waters around Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand are all places where you will find blobfish.

2. Blobfish have no muscles! The materials that they are made out of are just a bit lighter than water, which allows them to float a bit above the seafloor.

3. Known as bottom dwellers, blobfish do not venture much higher than just above the seafloor. They can live at depths up to 2,700 feet below the surface of the water.

4. For the most part, blobfish will remain still almost their entire lives. They are only likely to move if there might be food nearby. Some blobfish might actually starve to death because food might be too scarce in the area where they are.

5. Unlike other fish, blobfish do not have swim bladders to help them float in the water at various levels.

6. On average, blobfish will be around ten inches to a foot long.

7. Despite appearing to be somewhat fat, blobfish actually feast on very small, even microscopic, animals. They eat by sucking in the food when any food floats close.

8. The flap of skin that hangs over the lips of the blobfish, which appears to be shaped like a human nose, is not a nose at all. It is just skin.

9. In a single given nest a female blobfish can lay thousands of eggs at once.

10. Most humans will never see a blobfish because they live in such deep waters.

11. Blobfish are currently listed as an endangered species of fish.

12. When blobfish are found in fish nets cast out to catch the kinds of fish that we eat, they are often just thrown back into the sea. They are not eaten and are worth very little on the fish market.

13. If a blobfish is left out of the water for too long, their skin will dry out and they will die.

14. It is unknown just how long a blobfish lives for from the time it is born until it dies.