Once named world’s ugliest animal, blobfish wins New Zealand’s fish of the year
GuardianMAR 2
Blobfish Named New Zealand's 2025 Fish of the Year
Above: The Psychrolutes phrictus fish. Image copyright: HUM Images/Contributor/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative B
The close competition between the blobfish and orange roughy highlights urgent conservation challenges in deep-sea ecosystems. Both species face significant threats from bottom trawling practices, with New Zealand controlling 80% of global orange roughy catches.