Yes, blobfish lay eggs. Interestingly, depending on the species, an adult female blobfish lays between 10,000 to 100,000 eggs every 4-5 days.
Want to know more about the reproduction of blobfish? This article will tell you all about it!
Do Blobfish Lay Eggs?
Yes, adult female blobfish lays pinkish eggs. Like other fishes, they are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs outside of their bodies.
Remember, blobfish do not reach sexual maturity until they are around 5-6 years old. So, a 5-6-year-old adult female blobfish can lay eggs only.
How Does the Blobfish Reproduce?
After having sexual maturity, the male blobfish fertilizes the eggs with their sperm, and the female will lay them on rocks or seaweed within their deep-sea habitat.
When blobfish are incubating eggs, their behaviour changes dramatically. Each pregnant female blobfish will construct a nest all around the mass of eggs, where she remains until the babies are born. Blobfish eggs are typically incubated with the blobfish sitting on top until they hatch.
Also Read: Are Blobfish Real? 20 Incredible Facts of Blobfish Underwater
The eggs are small, only 1-2 millimetres in size, and it takes about a month for the eggs to hatch into larvae. Unfortunately, most of them do not survive because they are easy prey for deep-sea predators like sharks and octopuses.
How Long Does It Take for Blobfish Eggs To Hatch?
Depending on the condition of their habitat, it takes about 15-30 for blobfish eggs to hatch into larvae. Moreover, the types of species are also a factor.
For example, the blobfish’s close relative, the Tasmanian blobfish, has a longer incubation period of about 45-50 days. Again, Australian blobfishes take about a month for the eggs to hatch. Some of them take only 2 weeks to complete their incubation period.
How Many Eggs Does a Blobfish Lay At Once?
Some marine research shows that an adult blobfish lays between 10000-100000 eggs. On the other hand, some of the species lay only 800-1000 eggs.
For example, the Australian blobfish lays about 10,000 to 50,000 eggs weekly. In comparison, the Tasmanian blobfish lays less than 1,000 eggs every 3-4 days.
Where Do Blobfish Lay Eggs?
The blobfish is a particularly resilient fish that inhabits deep water. It can endure temperatures as low as 4 degrees and depths of around 2000 – 3,500 feet.
According to research, female blobfishes lay their eggs in a single nest near the top of deep ocean floors with warmer water. They prefer rocky areas for their nesting site, as it offers better protection from predators.
FAQs
Does the blobfish mate with other fishes?
No, blobfish don’t mate with other fishes. It’s a lonely life at the bottom of the sea. The blobfish (Scientific name: Psychrolutes Marcidus) is a deep-sea fish. Also, even though they look ugly, blobfish are known to be gentle giants that are easy to get along with.
As for mating, blobfish are known to be solitary creatures, and there is no evidence that they mate with other fishes. However, little is known about their reproductive habits due to their elusive nature.
Do blobfish have predators?
There has been no scientific study of the blobfish’s predators. However, it is thought that the fish may be preyed upon by other deep-sea creatures, such as sharks and large fishes. The blobfish’s flesh is said to be very gelatinous, and predators may find it unappealing.
In addition, the fish’s slow swimming speed means it would be easy for a faster predator to catch and eat it. As a result, while there is no definitive answer, it seems likely that the blobfish does have predators in the deep sea.
Do blobfish have any natural defences?
One of the blobfish’s main defence mechanisms is its ability to withstand high pressure. As it lives in deep ocean waters, the fish must be able to survive immense water pressure.
In addition, the fish’s gelatinous flesh allows it to blend in with its surroundings and potentially evade predators.
Overall, not much is known about the blobfish’s natural defences because they live so far down in the ocean and don’t meet many other animals. However, their unique physical adaptations do allow them to survive in their harsh environment.
What is the survival rate of baby blobfishes?
Baby blobfishes have a high survival rate if they don’t become the prey of deep-sea predators. They are born with a thick layer of fat that helps to protect them from cold water and predators.
Additionally, they have a high reproduction rate, meaning there is always plenty of blobfish to replenish the population. As a result, baby blobfishes have an excellent chance of growing up to be healthy, happy adults.
What do baby blobfish eat after birth?
After a baby blobfish is born, it doesn’t take long for it to start looking for something to eat. The blobfish is a bottom-dwelling creature, so it spends its time scavenging the ocean floor for food. Baby blobfish are particularly attracted to small, soft-bodied prey, such as worms and shrimp.
They will also consume any plants that they come across. As they grow older, blobfish will begin to eat larger prey, such as fish and octopuses.
However, they will still continue to eat smaller creatures from time to time. In fact, one of the reasons that blobfish are so abundant is that they are able to survive on a wide variety of food sources.
Conclusion
To sum up, blobfish do lay eggs like other fish species. The specific number and incubation time may vary depending on the species, but they typically lay around 10,000-100,000 eggs at a time, and it takes about 15-30 days for them to hatch. They prefer to lay their eggs in rocky areas of deep ocean floors for protection.
Image Source: shutterstock.com
This was the best for my project on blobfish, I learned so much.