A unique and critically endangered ‘walking’ fish native to Tasmania is getting a boost in survival thanks to a breeding program at the SeaLife Aquarium in Melbourne.
The Spotted Handfish, only found in a few locations in the River Derwent and D’Enctrecasteaux Channel, is known for its unusual habit of walking on the seabed using its hand-like fins – rather than swimming.
SeaLife’s breeding program, established in 2017 in partnership with the Handfish Conservation Project, CSIRO, and Seahorse World, aimed to replicate the Handfish’s natural conditions and increase their numbers.
Their efforts have succeeded and the fry, or babies, which were hatched in January 2021 are now ready to be displayed.
The ultimate goal of the breeding program is to be able to release some of these Handfish back into the wild, boosting the wild population numbers and helping secure the species’ future.
