Blobfish
| Blobfish | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Psychrolutidae |
| Genus: | Psychrolutes |
| Species: | P.
|
| Binomial name | |
| Psychrolutes (McCulloch, 1926)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Neophrynichthys marcidus McCulloch, 1926 | |
The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is three species of a fish of the family Psychrolutidae. They live in deep waters off the coasts of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.[1]
Blobfish are typically shorter than 30 cm. They live at depths between 600 and 1,200 m (2,000 and 3,900 ft) where the pressure is several dozen times higher than at sea level.
Blobfish are often caught accidentally in bottom trawling nets. Scientists now fear the blobfish could become an endangered species because of deep-ocean trawling.[2][3]
As often happens with common names, there is another fish which may also be called "blobfish". It is Macquarie blobfish, a species of Ebinania.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2010). "Psychrolutes marcidus" in FishBase. February 2010 version.
- ↑ "So you think you've had a bad day? Spare a thought for the world's most miserable-looking fish, which is now in danger of being wiped out". The Daily Mail. London. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ Hough, Andrew (26 January 2010). "Blobfish: world's most 'miserable looking' marine animal facing exinction". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
