Become a baby blobfish expert. Read on to learn about these adorable sea creatures, from their lifestyle to why they look so unique. You’ll be amazed by all these fascinating facts.
What Is a Blobfish?
The blobfish is one of the fascinating creatures of the deep ocean. With its unusual appearance and lazy lifestyle, it’s no wonder that this odd creature has become an internet sensation! Despite its odd looks, the blobfish is a harmless omnivorous fish. They just look strange or cute; it all depends on how you look at them. Blobfish don’t have scales like other fish. Instead, blobfish have a sort of loose and flabby skin. Even as babies, they have large heads with big black eyes, large mouths, and bulbous noses. The blobfish’s head makes up 40 percent of its total body mass! It swims around in the ocean’s depths using its single closed circulatory system – making it unique from other sea life!
Baby Blobfish Anatomy
The blobfish doesn’t have any teeth. What it does have, however, is an incredibly soft skeletal structure that allows it to survive in deep waters. In these deep waters, the pressure is so extreme that other sea creatures cannot survive. This also helps it conserve energy as it slowly moves along the ocean floor, scavenging for food like small crustaceans.
Baby Blobfish Lifecycle
Female blobfish can lay up to 9,000 eggs at a time. When the eggs hatch, plenty of baby blobfish come out – ready to explore the ocean’s depths! Baby blobfish begin as tiny tadpole-like larvae, but blobfish style. Despite being so small, they still have the same unique gelatinous anatomy as their parents.
What Do Baby Blobfish Look Like?
When baby blobfish emerge from their egg nests, they look like miniature versions of their parents. Baby blobfish look like tiny, fluffy tadpoles with bulbous heads, large jaws, and tapered tails. They usually have variable pigment and a short blunt snout. Baby blobfish don’t have any muscles. They never will grow muscle, either. Instead of swimming around with powerful strokes, baby blobfish rely on their lightweight body to float around easily in the deep ocean. It’s an effortless way of moving that has kept these fascinating creatures alive for thousands of years! Despite not having strong bones and thick muscles, baby blobfish can survive in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. They use the water pressure to hold their shape together and conserve energy while waiting for food to come their way.
Above Water Appearance
Blobfish look blobby above water. Below water, they look quite different! An adult blobfish called Mr. Blobby is preserved as part of an Australian Museum Collection. It’s a great example of how these fish look underwater. Once you pull a baby blobfish up to the surface and out of its natural habitat, it will quickly deflate. Without the pressure of the deep sea pushing against it, a blobfish will collapse into a limp balloon with no shape or form. It’s a sad sight as we know that once this happens, there is no chance of survival—the blobfish can’t survive without the pressure of its natural environment.
Where Do Baby Blobfish Live?
Baby blobfish typically inhabit the shallow caves between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, where they can take advantage of the deep sea pressure. This pressure helps them to stay afloat and gives them enough energy to slowly scour the ocean floor for food. Baby blobfish are also surprisingly light—even lighter than water! This makes it easier for them to float in their natural environment, allowing them to conserve even more energy and move around easily.
What Creatures Live Around Baby Blobfish?
Other creatures that live with the baby blobfish include giant squid, anglerfish, and bioluminescent lanternfish. All these creatures are comfortable living in the ocean’s depths, protecting themselves from predators and bigger creatures. It’s a fascinating world down there, full of darkness and mysterious creatures. Although much about the ocean’s depths remains a mystery to scientists, one thing is for sure—we are constantly learning more about the exciting deep ocean world!
Baby Blobfish Have Limited Food Options
What’s there to eat a few thousand feet below the surface? Not much. The deep sea is an incredibly hostile environment. There is no light, and food sources are scarce. Once you go below 656 feet, light quickly begins to fade. Without sunlight or photosynthesis taking place, there is a lack of food for animals to eat—including the adorable baby blobfish! But even in this lightless vastness, baby blobfish can be found—fluffy and resilient inhabitants of the deep ocean who remain undeterred by their seemingly bleak surroundings.
Baby Blobfish Can Handle Pressure
Bring it on! Is what baby blobfish would say to the heavy pressure of their natural environment. The deeper you go, the more water pressure and weight accumulate. Baby blobfish live at depths that would collapse human lungs. Their gelatinous bodies enable living under the weight of the ocean to be a total breeze.
Baby Blobfish Name
Baby blobfish are called fatheads. The name doesn’t concern the blobfish’s famous bulbous head. The name has to do with the species. The common name, fathead, comes from the scientific name and refers to the blobfish’s soft skin. Other fathead fish include the bluefish and the mudminnow. Fish from this family are called sculpins or fathead sculpins.
Can You Own a Baby Blobfish as a Pet?
Can you own a baby blobfish as a pet? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Blobfish are wild animals and should not be pets. Plus, you wouldn’t be able to replicate the heavy pressure of the deep ocean for a blobfish in an average aquarium environment. A baby blobfish is not an option if you’re looking for a pet. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a different type of baby fish. If you want to start an aquarium, there are a lot of other great fish to choose from. Some of the best beginner fish include guppies, platies, mollies, and tetras. These colorful and active fish will make a great addition to your home aquarium and bring you great joy!
Do Baby Blobfish Bite?
Baby blobfish don’t bite because they have no teeth. It’s the same for adults. These fish don’t have any bones at all, and that includes their teeth. The chances of ever coming into contact with one are also slim to none. Remember, baby blobfish live up to 4,000 feet deep in the ocean. They float around all day, munching on tiny crustaceans. So even if you did come across a blobfish, it probably wouldn’t pay attention to anything beyond its food!
Baby Blobfish: Final Thoughts
Now you’re a baby blobfish expert! Baby blobfish are incredible and resilient creatures that live in hostile environments. They have adapted to the deep sea pressure, lack of food sources, and lightless depths. These soft-bodied creatures may not look like much on land—but in their natural habitat, they remain one of the most exciting members of the deep sea world. Can you imagine a bunch of baby blobfish bobbing around in the deep ocean waters? What an amazing sight that would be. We may never see it, but we’ll always appreciate these fascinating creatures! The next time you think about the deep sea, make sure to give a nod of respect to baby blobfish and all other denizens of the deep. For more fantastic ocean creatures, learn about some of the ones that didn’t evolve, like the blobfish. Why did certain whales and sharks go extinct? Find out below!
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