Sea creature with human-like hands could be one of world’s most endangered fish

A strange-looking angler fish, found only on two tiny patches of reef off Tasmania, is perhaps the world’s most endangered fish, according to a report.

The Red handfish lives in around 50-meter patches of reef off the coast of Tasmania, Australia.

It mostly survives on small crustaceans, worms and molluscs. One of its unique characteristics is that it’s a tiny one with hands, a downturned mouth, and a visible mohawk.

Unique and colorful Red Handfish “walk” on the seafloor, facing many threats

These fishes usually do not grow more than 4 inches long and they can come in different colors like red, brown and pink. The colors around their fins often appear to be brighter. They also come with unique markings that can help distinguish between two fish.

They mostly live on the seabed and use their pectoral fins to move around by walking across the seafloor. “It’s an amazing curiosity of evolution,” Andrew Trotter, leader of the red handfish conservation breeding project at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), told Live Science .

“While walking with fins is rare, some fish can even do this on land. The loss of a swim bladder is a common trait among many benthic fish, as fine-tuned buoyancy control is no longer needed” he added.

Experts even say that their appearance makes them look really cute. The reason these fishes are found in two small patches of reef off Tasmania, Australia is because they can’t waddle too far. They are also susceptible to threats like habitat loss, pollution and urban development.

Red Handfish among the rarest species on Earth, urgent conservation needed

Trotter even said that the Red handfish is perhaps the rarest species on earth. To quote him, “The red handfish is probably in the rarest ‘ handful ‘ of fish in the world, no pun intended. It’s really hard to know exact numbers, but it has to be right up there with the most imperilled fish species that we know of.”

Owing to their rarity researchers in Australia had taken around 25 of the 100 known wild animals into captivity for many months. They feared that the entire species could be wiped out by marine waves.

Trotter had looked after the endangered fishes and revealed that three of them had died in captivity. However, 18 of them were returned to their habitat once there were no heatwaves.

It’s extremely important to conserve these species and the broader diversity of this place. Some conservation efforts include the protection of their habitat. This will include rocky reefs and kelp forests. Researchers must make efforts to protect these areas from degradation owing to pollution, coastal development, and destructive fishing practices.

Apart from this, researchers are also looking at captive breeding programs for breeding these fishes. In order to achieve all these efforts it’s very important to research and monitor properly. Also, there must be enough community engagement and education regarding marine conservation.

In conclusion, the conservation of the Red Handfish is a broader effort to tackle Tasmania’s rich marine biodiversity. The waters of Tasmania are home to different varieties of marine life, like different handfishes, seahorses, and other organisms. Tasmania also consists of kelp forests and rocky reefs which help support the marine ecosystem.