WELLINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Voting opened Saturday for New Zealand's annual Fish of the Year competition, an online event highlighting the country's distinctive, weird, and often overlooked marine life.

Organized by the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust, the contest aims to raise public awareness about native fish species and their conservation status, similar to the popular Bird of the Year vote.

Co-director of the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust Samara Nicholas said many people do not realize that numerous New Zealand fish species are endemic, meaning they are found only in the country's waters.

The annual Fish of the Year contest invites public votes for overlooked species that deserve attention, its website says. Public voting runs from Feb. 28 through March 15.

This year's contenders range from deep-water species like the orange roughy to the threatened banded kokopu, as well as unusual creatures such as the sunfish -- a heavy bony fish that can weigh up to 2,744 kg and reach lengths over 3 meters -- and the torrent fish, which thrives in fast-flowing rivers.

The blobfish, last year's unlikely winner and known for its "ugliness," is not competing this year. ■