Red Handfish

The Red Handfish is a strange-looking fish that moves over the ocean floor using its hand-like fins. The Red Handfish, which was found in the 1800s, has always had a modest population size. Until early 2018, only around 20 – 40 Red Handfish were reported to be residing in Hobart’s Frederick Henry Bay, off the coast of eastern Tasmania.

A second group of Red Handfish was discovered in early 2018 by a research team from the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. With this recent finding, the total number of Red Handfish is believed to be around 80. Red Handfish are severely endangered, and their numbers are so low because their eggs, which they lay on the bottom of seaweed, are sometimes mistakenly brushed past by people or other marine species.