{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "blobfish",
  "name": "Blobfish",
  "scientificName": "Psychrolutes marcidus",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a deep-sea fish that lives on the sea floor off south-eastern Australia and Tasmania at depths of roughly 600 to 1,200 m. Growing to about 30 cm, it has soft, gelatinous flesh and few muscles, letting it hover just above the bottom under crushing pressure while it waits for food to drift by. It is a slow, passive feeder and is thought to live around 25 years, though its conservation status has never been formally assessed.",
  "conservationStatus": "Not Evaluated",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "order": "Scorpaeniformes",
    "family": "Psychrolutidae",
    "genus": "Psychrolutes"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 2,
    "lengthM": 0.3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0.5,
    "lifespanYears": 25
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Psychrolutes marcidus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (passive sit-and-wait feeder)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Deep sea, 600–1,200 m depth"
    },
    {
      "label": "Depth range",
      "value": "600–1,200 m (2,000–4,000 ft)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "Up to about 30 cm (12 in)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Not formally assessed (IUCN)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Famous for",
      "value": "Voted world's ugliest animal in 2013"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Deep waters off southern Australia and New Zealand at depths of 600–1,200 m.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Psychrolutes marcidus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Psychrolutes%20marcidus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Psychrolutes marcidus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Psychrolutes_marcidus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Blobfish.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychrolutes_marcidus"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blobfish/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blobfish/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}