This sea creature may have just experienced the "ugly duckling" glowup of the fish world. Once dubbed the "world's ugliest animal," the blobfish – scientific name Psychrolutes marcidus – has been named New Zealand's Fish of the Year in a competition created by the conservation nonprofit Mountains to Sea.

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, a deep-sea creature that has been described as the world’s ugliest animal, was named New Zealand’s Fish of the Year.