But times change, and it has now been voted New Zealand’s Fish of the Year in a competition organised by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust aimed at raising awareness of the country’s marine life and its fragile ecosystem.
A total of 5583 votes were cast.
The blobfish, considered vulnerable, emerged victorious, beating its nearest rival - the orange roughy - by almost 300 votes, the trust said in a statement.
"Renowned for its unfortunate frown and decidedly squishy disposition when pulled from the depths, Kiwis have shown they truly believe that blob is beautiful."
Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust co-director Kim Jones said it was “a battle of the deep sea forget-me-nots. A battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish’s unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line.”
Of the top 10 nominees, nine species of fish were considered vulnerable by conservation groups, including the blobfish.
“In some ways it was fitting blobfish and orange roughy were close at the end. They both live in deep sea environments close to New Zealand, and the blobfish is often incidentally caught during bottom trawling for orange roughy,” Jones said.
“While the blobfish’s exact conservation status is unknown, orange roughy populations are struggling. Carefully managing orange roughy and its habitat will benefit the blobfish, too.”
As well as the waters of New Zealand, the blobfish lives in deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania.
- APL
