Spotted handfish
Encyclopedia
The spotted handfish, Brachionichthys hirsutus, is a rare
Australia
n fish from the family
Brachionichthyidae. It is classified as Critically Endangered (CR - A1cde) on the IUCN Red List
2002. It is a benthic fish usually found in depths of 5 to 10 metres, with overall sightings varying from a minimum of 2 metres depth up to a maximum of 30 metres deep. They have been recorded from depths between 2-30 m but appear to be most common in 5-10 m (Bruce et al., 1998).
The spotted handfish is unusual in that it has highly adapted pectoral fins, which appear like hands (hence the name) and allow it to walk on the sea floor.
It has a highly restricted territory, being found only in the estuary
of Derwent River, Tasmania, and nearby areas.
It is believed that females reach sexual maturity after 2-3 years when they have reached a length of 75-80mm
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n fish from the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Brachionichthyidae. It is classified as Critically Endangered (CR - A1cde) on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
2002. It is a benthic fish usually found in depths of 5 to 10 metres, with overall sightings varying from a minimum of 2 metres depth up to a maximum of 30 metres deep. They have been recorded from depths between 2-30 m but appear to be most common in 5-10 m (Bruce et al., 1998).
The spotted handfish is unusual in that it has highly adapted pectoral fins, which appear like hands (hence the name) and allow it to walk on the sea floor.
It has a highly restricted territory, being found only in the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of Derwent River, Tasmania, and nearby areas.
Description
The handfish is a unique, Australian family of anglerfish. The anglerfish family Brachionichthyidae (handfish's) is the most speciose of the few marine fish families that are an endemic to Australia. Handfish are unusual, small (up to 120mm in length), slow moving benthic fishes that prefer to 'walk' rather than swim. The pectoral, or side fins, are leg-like with extremities resembling a human hand (hence their common name).It is believed that females reach sexual maturity after 2-3 years when they have reached a length of 75-80mm