Bubblefish: Know Its Main Characteristics!
The bubblefish is a species of fish in the Psychrolutidae family and its scientific name is Psychrolutes marcidus . This species is endemic to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Its gelatinous texture and soft bones make it a very strange and curious fish, although this strange appearance is even more striking when it is taken out of the water.
Therefore, this fish has two appearances: the normal one, when it is underwater, and the gelatinous one, on the surface.
Anatomical characteristics of the bubblefish
The structure and appearance of your body is different when in water than when on the surface. Due to the low pressure that exists on the outside, when it comes to the surface, its texture becomes gelatinous and smooth.
It is believed that the female is larger than the male. Its color is between light cream and dark beige, depending on whether it is in the water or on the surface.
They can measure between 30 and 40 centimeters in length; they have no muscle and their body is gelatinous and soft boned.
Their thin body helps them to float on the ocean floor. In this way, they swim without wasting energy and survive in the deep sea.
Its head is of great size and serves so that it can float in the depths of the sea. It also has narrow fins to move slowly.
In addition, it has large gelatinous eyes that allow visibility in the dark. It has no teeth.
Distribution and habitat of the bubblefish
It is a benthic species, with temperate waters, between 3 and 9 °C. It is found exclusively in the depths of the oceans between the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.
The bubblefish live in a depth range between 400 and 1,700 meters, where the pressure is 100 times greater compared to the surface.
This is justified because the fish changes its appearance as it moves towards the surface: due to the lack of pressure in the water.
Behavior and reproduction of the bubblefish
Bubblefish lay large amounts of eggs, it is believed that a little over 80,000, but only between 1% and 2% reach adulthood.
Both male and female keep them in the nest until they hatch. They have a passive and calm behavior. This favors them when feeding on food that floats in their environment.
This fish’s lack of muscle is not an impediment for it to feed. Because they are not predators, they do not hunt or chase.
They can eat anything edible or animal that passes their way; therefore, their diet is based on small fish, molluscs and crustaceans that inhabit deep waters.
Despite not having teeth to grind food, bubblefish have an optimized digestive system. Your stomach is full of gastric juices that have a corrosive capacity to digest all kinds of food.
conservation state
Bubblefish are prone to make endangered animal lists. This is mainly due to trawl fishing techniques.
They are often accidentally caught by the nets, which greatly affects their population and reduces it considerably. Furthermore, this type of fishing modifies and destroys the habitat where they live.
