{"id":35870,"date":"2024-01-31T11:23:52","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T10:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/6e477886-13d5-409f-b313-e526cb8a795b"},"modified":"2024-01-31T12:35:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T11:35:44","slug":"theres-a-fish-in-tasmania-with-hands-instead-of-fins-and-scientists-are-about-to-save-it-from-extinction","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/theres-a-fish-in-tasmania-with-hands-instead-of-fins-and-scientists-are-about-to-save-it-from-extinction\/","title":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a fish in Tasmania with hands instead of fins, and scientists are about to save it from extinction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid concerns about the risk of upcoming marine heatwaves, 25 critically endangered red handfish have been removed from the wild in a bid to save the species from extinction. <\/p>

By Melissa Hobson\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 at 10:23 AM<\/p>

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The population of red handfish remaining in the wild has just dropped from around 100 to 75, as 25 individuals were taken into care at the\u00a0Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

Concerned about the risk of upcoming marine heatwaves on the critically endangered population, conservationists received special permission from the Australian government to remove some individuals from the wild.<\/p>

Red handfish use their large hand-like fins to \u2018walk\u2019 along the seafloor. Credit: Courtesy of the\u00a0Foundation for Australia\u2019s Most Endangered species\u00a0(FAME)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Red handfish are a species of anglerfish. Unlike other fish<\/a>, they don\u2019t have a swim bladder to control their buoyancy, so they use their large hand-like fins to \u2018walk\u2019 along the seafloor. These peculiar creatures are around 8cm long \u2013 smaller than a playing card \u2013 and pink, red or brown in colour with a grumpy, downturned mouth.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cIf you\u2019ve never seen a handfish before, imagine dipping a toad in some brightly coloured paint, telling it a sad story, and forcing it to wear gloves two sizes too big,\u201d says the\u00a0Handfish Conservation Project<\/a>\u00a0on its website.\u00a0<\/p>

Red handfish are around 8cm long. Credit: Jemina Stuart-Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The species is also incredibly rare, with no more than 100 individuals believed to be left in the wild. The small population is only found in two small areas of rocky reef, southeast of Hobart, Tasmania. This habitat is buffeted by threats including boat traffic, anchoring, urban development, pollution and nutrient runoff as well as non-native species and the impacts of climate change.<\/p>

Walking along the seabed instead of swimming means these diminutive fish can\u2019t travel far to escape these threats. And they don\u2019t have a larval stage when they\u2019re young so can\u2019t drift through the ocean to spread to new areas.\u00a0<\/p>