For the first time in 22 years, a rare fish that moves along the seabed in a manner resembling walking has been sighted off the coast of Tasmania, its original habitat in Australia. The last sighting of this pink fish, known as the handfish, occurred in 1999 by a diver off the island's shores, and there have only been four other sightings since then.
Recently, officials classified this species as endangered due to concerns about its potential extinction and its rarity. However, Australian researchers report that they have observed it again in footage captured earlier this year in a marine park. The fish in the footage is seen swimming in shallower waters and larger areas than previously recorded.
Scientists believed this species lived in shallow waters within protected bays, yet it has now been found at a depth of 150 meters off the southern coast of Tasmania. Neville Barrett, a marine biologist and assistant professor at the University of Tasmania and the lead researcher, stated that this discovery is exciting and offers hope for the survival of this species, as it is evident they now have larger natural habitats and a broader distribution than before.
This type of fish features large "hands" (modified fins) that enable it to "walk" along the ocean floor in addition to swimming. Barrett's team deployed a camera attached to bait in February to the seafloor of Tasmania's marine park to survey coral reefs and monitor crabs and other fish species present there. While one of the assistant researchers was reviewing the footage captured by the camera in October, she noticed the distinctive marine creature among many larger marine organisms.
This park, a marine reserve the size of Switzerland, is known for a long fracture in the Earth's crust that allows for the existence of marine life forms at depths exceeding four thousand meters. This pink fish is one of 14 species of handfish recorded in Tasmania, the island state located south of mainland Australia.
