Psychrolutes microporos

A specimen of Psychrolutes microporos was trawled by the RV James Cook and Doctor Ignacio Hernández Ricordi in 1983 and described by Joseph Nelson in 1995. The holotype is in the Museum of New Zealand.[http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/objectdetails.aspx?oid=186533&page=3 Blobfish, Psychrolutes microporos Nelson, 1995; holotype] Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 2011-10-28. Another specimen was collected at a depth of {{cvt|980|m|ft|-2}} off the coast of New Zealand.[http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Psychrolutes-microporos.html Psychrolutes microporos - Nelson, 1995] FishBase. Retrieved 2011-10-28. Another specimen was collected in 2007 in the Tasman Sea at a depth of {{cvt|1200|m|ft}}.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

Psychrolutes microporos is a whitish colour and is flattened laterally, with a wide mouth.[http://censeam.niwa.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/60986/blobfish.pdf Blobfish: Psychrolutes microporos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016041437/http://censeam.niwa.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/60986/blobfish.pdf |date=2008-10-16 }} Retrieved 2011-10-28. Blobfish which are pulled up from the depths too quickly suffer severe tissue damage because of the drastic drop in pressure, and become a gelatinous mass (hence the name "blobfish") with a prominent proboscis.{{cite web|last1=Taylor|first1=Ian|title=The blobfish: a bloated guide to the world's ugliest animal|url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/the-blobfish-a-bloated-guide-to-the-worlds-ugliest-animal/|website=Science Focus|access-date=19 November 2021|date=4 April 2021}} Blobfish in their natural deep-sea habitat have a completely different appearance, recognizably piscine, compact, and with no proboscis. Blobfish can support extremely high pressures in the deep ocean, when compared to pressures closer to the surface of the ocean.Jakub, L. (2015). Who Swims with the Blobfish?: Anthropomorphic Bias in Conservation. TMR, 11. Retrieved from https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/TMR/article/view/5419

Psychrolutes microporos is found in the abyssal depths between the Australian mainland and Tasmania.[http://xsoviet.over-blog.net/article-29554841.html Animales Extraños.] Retrieved 2011-10-28. Two specimens were collected in the month-long NORFANZ Expedition of 2003 which was examining the biodiversity of the seamounts and slopes of the Norfolk Ridge. They averaged 1.7 kg (4 lb) and were found in a single location.[https://www.biodiversity.govt.nz/pdfs/seas/NORFANZ_voyage_report.pdf NORFANZ Voyage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415035042/https://www.biodiversity.govt.nz/pdfs/seas/NORFANZ_voyage_report.pdf |date=2012-04-15 }} Retrieved 2011-10-28.

The texture of Psychrolutes microporos{{'s}} body is gelatinous, a feature often found in deep sea fish. Little is known of its behaviour because of the difficulty of observing it in its natural habitat. It is thought to be an ambush predator, consuming anything edible that comes within its reach. Due to the species' gelatinous composition, it has been found to be able to absorb arsenic toxins found in water on a nanoscopic level.{{cite journal |title=Selective, Photoenhanced Trapping/Detrapping of Arsenate Anions Using Mesoporous Blobfish Head TiO2 Monoliths |journal=ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering |date=September 28, 2017 |doi=10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b02766 |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b02766 |access-date=17 March 2023 |last1=Gomaa |first1=H. |last2=Khalifa |first2=H. |last3=Selim |first3=M. M. |last4=Shenashen |first4=M. A. |last5=Kawada |first5=S. |last6=Alamoudi |first6=A. S. |last7=Azzam |first7=A. M. |last8=Alhamid |first8=A. A. |last9=El-Safty |first9=S. A. |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=10826–10839 |url-access=subscription }}

During Kerryn Parkinson’s time on the NORFANZ expedition (2003), she was tasked to photograph rare or unknown specimens. Encountering the Psychrolutes microporos, Parkinson found the specimen amusing and took a photograph of it. The team nicknamed the pink gloopy fish as Mr Blobby.{{Cite web |last=Rykers |first=Ellen |date=2023-06-07 |title=The story behind this famous face |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/07-06-2023/the-true-story-behind-that-blobfish-meme |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}

Seven years later, the image had gained attraction and became very popular on several social media sites. In 2013, the frowning pink-gloopy specimen in Parkinson’s photograph was voted to be the mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, unofficially titling it as the World’s Ugliest Animal.{{Cite news |date=2013-09-12 |title=Blobfish wins ugliest animal vote |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24040130 |access-date=2024-04-25 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} The Smithsonian magazine argued the "ugly" looks appear only when fished, outside of its high-pressure habitat.{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=Smithsonian |last2=Anderson |first2=Colin Schultz, Sonja |title=In Defense of the Blobfish: The 'World's Ugliest Animal' Is Our Fault |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-ugliest-animal-blobfish-6676336/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}

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microporos

Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean

Category:Fish described in 1995

Category:Taxa named by Joseph S. Nelson