The sad-faced blobfish, a gelatinous deep-sea dweller resembling "a marine Jabba the Hutt" has been declared the ugliest endangered animal on planet through an online poll, Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
The blobfish, which can grow up to 12 inches long and described as a large, unattractive, and creepy blob, was recognized by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society as the new aesthetically-challenged mascot through an online competition were over 3000 votes were casted. The poll, where the blobfish won by 795 votes, aimed to raise the awareness of the general public about endangered animals.
"We've needed an ugly face for endangered animals for a long time, and I've been amazed by the public's reaction," Society's President Simon Watt said. "For too long the cute and fluffy animals have taken the limelight but now the blobfish will be a voice for the mingers who always get forgotten."
According to Time NewsFeed, the blobfish beat other ugly animal contenders including: the proboscis monkey, the Titicaca water frog, the kakopo, and the axolotl, among others.
British Comedian Paul Foot, who had campaigned for the sad-faced blobfish through a video he posted to YouTube, said the fish showed sadness and wisdom all over its visage, adding, "The eyes are kind, and very wise. There is a brain in there."
The newly-crowned ugliest animal on the planet lives off the coast of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania at depths of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. More often than not, fishermen accidentally capture these blobfish in their nets, reducing their population to an endangered rank.
Biologist and Journalist Simon Watt said the blobfish's body is made of gelatinous material that is just a tad more dense than water, allowing the animal to bob along in the deep sea without having to work hard in keeping itself afloat.
Los Angeles Times reported that Watt had teamed up with the British National Science and Engineering Competition in putting up the ugliest animal poll online at the end of the summer.
The team created a YouTube page where random viewers could view videos of 11 comedians describing 11 ugly and endangered animals. Votes were then tallied based on the number of likes the videos received.
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