Meet Mr. Blobby: The Squishy Sea Star Who Just Nabbed "Fish of the Year"

Down in the deep, dark corners of the ocean, the blobfish is just your average sea-dweller—chillin’, swimmin’, and lookin’ totally normal. But the second you haul this squishy superstar up to the surface? Boom! It transforms into a gelatinous goo-creature with a face only a deep-sea mama could love.

This delightfully droopy dude, lovingly known as Mr. Blobby, has officially been crowned Fish of the Year in New Zealand, beating out some stiff (and scaly) competition. Despite being labeled the “world’s ugliest animal,” Blobby has melted hearts with his blobby charm and soft-serve silhouette.

Growing up to a foot long, Mr. Blobby is all about that deep-sea life, lurking around the seafloor near Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. His vibe? Loose, flabby skin, a bulbous head, and a permanent “I-just-woke-up-from-a-3-year-nap” expression. He’s even the face of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society—talk about iconic representation!

​In a fierce underwater popularity contest run by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, Mr. Blobby scored a tidal wave of support—nearly 1,300 out of 5,500 votes—surging ahead of his rival, the endangered orange roughy, by almost 300 votes in a dramatic last-minute comeback.

Turns out, in the deep sea (2,000 to 4,000 feet down!), blobfish are pretty normal-looking. But take them out of their high-pressure hood and they go full squish-mode, turning into the meme-worthy mascot we all know and… well, find fascinating.

Kim Jones, co-director of the conservation trust, called it “a battle of two quirky deep sea critters,” but it was Blobby’s unconventional glam that reeled in the love. The final push? A shoutout from NZ radio legends Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn, who told fans: “We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines!”
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Long live Mr. Blobby—the king of squish, the prince of pressure, and our deep-sea MVP.