Blobfish are a unique looking species of fish that live in the deep waters of the ocean. Their gelatinous, blob-like appearance makes them seem like they would be easy prey for predators. But who are the main predators of blobfish? Let’s take a closer look at the eating habits of blobfish and what creatures like to snack on these gooey fish.
Do Any Animals Eat Blobfish?
Yes, blobfish do get eaten by other animals despite their unappetizing appearance. Blobfish live at depths between 600 to 1200 meters in areas with high pressure. This extreme environment means blobfish predators need to be well-adapted to deep sea living.
Some of the main blobfish predators include:
- Sleeper sharks
- Ratfish
- Deep water eels
- Giant squid
- Octopuses
- Silver scabbardfish
- Thresher sharks
These deep sea dwellers are all well-suited to handling the high pressure where blobfish live. They also have sharp teeth and strong jaws perfect for snatching up soft, jiggly blobfish.
Why Would Predators Want to Eat Blobfish?
At first glance, blobfish seem like the last thing a predator would want to eat. Their mushy bodies contain mostly water and gelatinous flesh without a lot of nutrients. However, deep sea predators have adapted to take advantage of any food sources available in the food-scarce environment.
Here are some of the main reasons blobfish get eaten:
- Blobfish are slow moving and easy to catch since they just drift along the ocean floor.
- Their neutral buoyancy means they stay suspended in the water column, exposed to predators.
- Predators like sharks and eels are opportunistic and will eat any available prey.
- There are no other abundant food sources available at blobfish habitat depths.
- Blobfish flesh, although watery, provides sustenance to deep sea predators.
So while blobfish might not be the tastiest or most nutritious meal, predators living in the deep ocean can’t afford to be choosy! Any food they come across helps them conserve energy in their extreme habitat.
How do Predators Catch and Eat Blobfish?
Blobfish don’t put up much of a fight when predators go after them. Their main survival strategy is to remain still and blend in with their surroundings. Here’s how some common blobfish predators hunt and consume them:
Sleeper Sharks
Sleeper sharks use their powerful jaws and serrated teeth to take huge bites out of blobfish. They gulp down flesh in large chunks. Their teeth easily pierce the blobfish’s soft bodies.
Ratfish
Ratfish have sharp front teeth ideal for grabbing and cutting blobfish flesh. They tear off pieces of the body in a sawing motion. Their flexible jaws allow them to swallow blobfish whole.
Deep Sea Eels
Moray and gulper eels wrap their long bodies around blobfish to restrain them. They then use their strong jaws to take bites, or may swallow blobfish whole. Their rear facing teeth prevent prey escape.
Giant Squid
Giant squid catch blobfish with their long, grasping tentacles. The tentacles contain hooks and suckers that latch onto blobfish. They then pass the blobfish to their sharp beak to rip flesh into chunks.
Octopuses
Octopuses pounce on blobfish and restrain them with their arms. They use their sharp beak to take bites and tear flesh. The blobfish cannot escape an octopus’s tight grip.
As these examples illustrate, blobfish predators are well equipped to take advantage of the docile fish. Their adaptations allow them to easily hunt, catch and consume the gelatinous creatures.
How Often do Blobfish Get Eaten?
It’s hard to say exactly how frequent blobfish predation is. Their deep sea habitat makes observing predator-prey interactions challenging. However, some studies provide clues.
Research examining the stomach contents of sleeper sharks found that over 75% contained remains of blobfish. Ratfish stomach analysis also showed a high number had been feeding on blobfish.
Anecdotal evidence from deep sea submersible dives suggests predator attacks on blobfish are commonplace. Video footage shows predators like eels actively pursuing and capturing blobfish.
So while we don’t have exact figures, it’s clear from these snapshots that predators eat blobfish on a regular basis.
How does Blobfish Predation Affect Populations?
Heavy predation pressure would be cause for concern for the future of blobfish populations. However, blobfish numbers seem to be holding steady for now.
A few factors suggest the current predator-prey dynamic is sustainable:
- Blobfish reproduce rapidly, laying thousands to millions of eggs. This high fecundity offsets predation losses.
- Blobfish have few other predators beyond deep sea specialist feeders. Predation rates would likely be higher in shallow waters.
- Habitat inaccessibility offers protection. Only predators adapted to the hadal zone can access blobfish.
- Blobfish predators rely on deep sea food sources and don’t usually target single prey species.
Careful monitoring of blobfish and predator populations will be necessary to ensure this balance holds. But for now, the frequent predation on blobfish does not seem to be decimating populations.
Conclusion
In the deep ocean blobfish habitat, food is scarce. So predators like sleeper sharks and eels cannot afford to pass up chances for a meal, even if it comes in the unappetizing form of a blobfish. Despite providing minimal nutrition, blobfish flesh offers much needed sustenance. These opportunistic feeders are well equipped to take advantage of slow-moving blobfish as a readily available food source. While blobfish fall prey frequently, their populations remain in healthy numbers for now. Continued ecosystem monitoring will be key to ensuring this unique fish remains a constant of the deep sea environment.
