{"id":38224,"date":"2024-05-10T13:54:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T11:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ae6f9eb5-d000-4ef4-8062-06609a982fbb"},"modified":"2024-05-10T14:35:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:35:43","slug":"critically-endangered-fish-with-red-hands-and-sad-toad-face-returned-to-the-wild-in-tasmania","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/critically-endangered-fish-with-red-hands-and-sad-toad-face-returned-to-the-wild-in-tasmania\/","title":{"rendered":"Critically endangered fish with red hands and ‘sad toad face’ returned to the wild in Tasmania"},"content":{"rendered":"

18 critically endangered red handfish have been released back into the wild after being taken into captivity to protect them from marine heatwaves. <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Friday, 10 May 2024 at 11:54 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Conservationists in Australia are celebrating the return of 18 critically endangered red handfish to the sea after they were taken into care<\/a> at the\u00a0 Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0 January<\/a>\u00a0to protect them from marine heatwaves.<\/p>

Researchers believe there are fewer than 100 red handfish left in the wild so taking 25 individuals into care at IMAS was a huge decision \u2013 and one that required special permission from the Australian government.<\/p>

Watch: red handfish release. Credit: Tyson Bessell, IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Scientists remove 25 red handfish have from the wild in a bid to save the species from extinction<\/a><\/li>
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\u201cThey\u2019re wild animals and belong in the sea,\u201d said Dr Andrew Trotter, who leads IMAS\u2019 conservation breeding project for red handfish. Of the 25 individuals removed from the wild, 18 have been returned to the sea, four have been added to IMAS\u2019 captive breeding programme and three sadly died.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cAlthough we expected mortality in captivity, we were still disappointed to have three mortalities during this time,\u201d says Trotter. \u201cBut this has highlighted the urgent need to better understand disease in this species.\u201d<\/p>
IMAS researchers preparing red handfish for transport to site. Credit: Andrew Trotter, IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Red handfish\u00a0(Thymichthys politus)<\/em>\u00a0are a species of anglerfish that grows to around 8cm long \u2013 smaller than a Post-it Note \u2013 and come in a range of colours from bright red to light pink or brown. They are known for their bizarre appearance (the\u00a0Handfish Conservation Project<\/a>\u00a0says to \u201cimagine dipping a toad in some brightly coloured paint, telling it a sad story, and forcing it to wear gloves two sizes too big,\u201d) and their use of oversized fins to \u2018walk\u2019 along the seafloor because they don\u2019t have a swim bladder to keep them afloat.\u00a0<\/p>
Although risky, the team believes taking these animals into captivity during the Australian summer was the right approach. \u201cThe site data shows the temperatures this summer exceeded previous known maximums,\u201d says marine ecologist Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith, who co-leads IMAS\u2019 red handfish research and conservation programme. \u201cWe can only assume that this additional stressor would have impacted the already vulnerable population.\u201d<\/p>
This population is only found in two small patches of rocky reef in Frederick Henry Bay, southeast of Hobart. In these areas, native sea urchins have overgrazed the seaweed and seagrass needed for red handfish to survive. Pollution, coastal development, human activities and climate change all add further pressure to the fragile population.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Releasing$
IMAS diver and aquaculture technician Ness Delpero about to release a red handfish back to the wild. Credit: Jemina Stuart-Smith, IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Part of the conservation effort also included habitat recovery: removing the troublesome urchins to prevent the loss of refuges for the red handfish.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cWe\u2019re now focused on habitat restoration and management at red handfish sites which is crucial to the survival of the species,\u201d says Dr Stuart-Smith. The IMAS team will continue monitoring these rare animals in the wild and hopes to release more individuals in future if the captive breeding programme is successful.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Released$
Red handfish settling back into its habitat \u2013 is it waving goodbye? Credit: Jemina Stuart-Smith, IMAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
*Main image: red handfish settling back into home. Credit: Jemina Stuart-Smith, IMAS<\/em><\/p>*
**More stories from Australia:<\/strong><\/p>**
**A rare Australian marsupial is being genetically modified to save it from extinction<\/a><\/li>**
**A zookeeper visited a former penal colony in Australia only to find it overrun with adorable wombats<\/a><\/li>**
Lord Voldemort ant discovered in Australian outback<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
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