Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I Can Relate, Buddy


The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

3 comments:

udonotknowme1 said...

Looks very much like the sea humans my teacher used to talk about when I was a kid.

Is this for real?

Leicentious said...

This is for real.

Does he not look like he's frowning at you?
Does he not enjoy being a blobfish?

udonotknowme1 said...

Yeah, he looks kind of sad.