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The annual Fish of the Year 2025 competition has come to a dramatic close, with deep sea rivals orange roughy and blobfish campaigning hard right up to the last minute.
The blobfish emerged victorious over orange roughy by nearly 300 votes.
Orange roughy had a strong start and maintained a healthy lead until halfway through the final week of campaigning in the competition run by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.
But everything changed when More FM threw its weight behind the blobfish.
“We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines,” More FM Drive hosts Sarah and Flynny say.
“The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusc to come through to eat.
“He’s been bullied his whole life and we thought, ‘stuff this, it’s time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun’, and what a glorious moment it is!”
Swimmer-up, orange roughy, is a deep-sea fish, too but despite gaining late endorsements from Forest and Bird and Greenpeace Aotearoa, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
Official orange roughy sponsor Environmental Law Initiative was upbeat after running a strong campaign.
“We have no bloblem with the blobfish winning,” spokesperson Aaron Packard says.
“It’s still a win for deep sea ecosystems and raises awareness about the environmental impacts of destructive bottom trawling.”
Renowned for its unfortunate frown and decidedly squishy disposition when pulled from the depths, New Zealanders have shown they truly believe that blob is beautiful.
Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust co-director Kim Jones says: “It was a battle of the deep sea forget-me-nots.
“A battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish’s unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line.”
More than 5500 Kiwis voted in Fish of the Year 2025, up from 1021 in 2024.
“More than 10,000 Kiwis visited the website to learn about freshwater and marine fish that call our waters home,” Jones says.
“We’re absolutely thrilled New Zealanders have taken such an interest in our native fish, and the conservation challenges affecting them.
“We’d like to thank the organisations who backed a fish, and to those that help fund this competition, particularly the Hauraki Gulf Forum and Lotteries New Zealand.”
Of the top 10 Fish of the Year nominees, nine are considered vulnerable by conservation groups, including the blobfish.
“In some ways it was fitting blobfish and orange roughy were close at the end,” Jones says.
“They both live in deep sea environments close to New Zealand, and the blobfish is often incidentally caught during bottom trawling for orange roughy.
“While the blobfish’s exact conservation status is unknown, orange roughy populations are struggling.
“Carefully managing orange roughy and its habitat will benefit the blobfish, too.”
Fish of the Year 2025 – Top 10 fish:
- Blobfish – 1286 votes
- Orange roughy – 1009 votes
- Longfin eel / Tuna – 646 votes
- Whale shark – 596 votes
- Big-bellied seahorse / Manaia – 386 votes
- Great white shark / Mangō taniwha – 344 votes
- Lamprey / Piharau – 312 votes
- Spine-tailed devil ray / Whai rahi – 284 votes
- Basking shark / Reremai – 280 votes
- Blue cod / Rāwaru – 260 votes
