Save The Blobfish For Later, Say Scientists
SAVE the Blobfish! Writes TB:
THE blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of the Australian mainland and Tasmania. Scientists warn that over-fishing by trawlers is threatening to make it extinct. The bloated bottom dweller, which can grow up to 12 inches, lives at depths of up to 800m, and is rarely seen by humans – TB
How do you know when it’s extinct if it is rarely seen by humans? Can more scientists with vested interests be hired to argue the debate?
(Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front of it. It can be caught by bottom trawling with nets.)
Bottom trawling?
Posted: 26th, January 2010 | In: Strange But True Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
