March 19 (UPI) -- New Zealand's Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust announced the Fish of the Year 2025 competition was won by the blobfish, a species once voted the "world's ugliest animal."
The blobfish, famous for its unusual appearance once removed from the pressures of deep water, came out nearly 300 votes ahead of the "swimmer-up," the orange roughy, organizers said.
The Fish of the Year competition, voted on by members of the public, aims to highlight and promote conservation of New Zealand's native underwater species.
The Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust said 5,583 votes were cast for Fish of the Year 2025, a sharp increase from 1,021 in 2024.
The blobfish's campaign for the spotlight was spearheaded by More FM Drive hosts Sarah and Flynny.
"We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines. The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusk to come through to eat. He has been bullied his whole life and we thought, 'Stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun,' and what a glorious moment it is," the hosts said in the trust's announcement.
The blobfish was previously most famous for being voted the "world's ugliest animal" in a vote organized by Britain's Ugly Animal Preservation Society in 2013.
Other fish appearing in New Zealand's top 10 included the longfin eel, tuna, whale shark, big-bellied seahorse, great white shark, lamprey and piharau.
