What is a Blobfish? Only the Ugliest Animal in the World

Impact

The world's ugliest animal has been officially named. The unpleasantly-named blobfish looks like something out of a sci-fi film. With a slimy, pale pink texture and strange coal black eyes, this isn't the typical pet fish you bring home to your family. Hailing from the waters of Australia, the blobfish is the winner of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society with nearly 10,000 votes, and its victory was announced at the British Science Festival in Newcastle. Not sure if the winner would approve of the unofficial title, but luckily the fish is unaware of its global acclaim.

Judge for yourself:

The organizations that encourage voting for most unappealing animal do have an altruistic motive behind their seemingly shallow ranking system. "Biologist and TV presenter Simon Watt, president of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, said he hoped the campaign would draw attention to the threats facing these weird and wonderful creatures," as BBC reports. They propose that the physical appearance of these creatures lead to their extinction so by promoting them to the public, the aim is for these "aesthetically challenged" animals to gain some recognition.

The spotlight has been on the cute, fuzzy animals for far too long. Perhaps this campaign can increase awareness of endangered species. At the very least, it teaches children that you can rank attraction … in order to better understand issues around biodiversity, that is.

If the blobfish looks appetizing, think again. It has been declared that these fish are not edible.