Researchers in Australia were excited to share the success of their red handfish breeding programme and introduce some new arrivals in a sweet video of two baby fish walking up to each other as if saying ‘hello’.
“The most adorable little greeting,” says the University of Tasmania (UTAS) on Facebook. “This pair of red handfish juveniles were born as part of our captive breeding conservation efforts.”
Red handfish are one of the most endangered species in the world, with just 75 individuals believed to be left in the wild.
“Red handfish are amongst the rarest fish on the planet, found near Hobart and nowhere else,” says UTAS.
“The species is critically endangered but the University is working in partnership with the Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species Ltd to bring them back from the edge of extinction.”
The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) previously removed 25 individuals from the wild in an attempt to protect the species from being wiped out entirely by marine heatwaves. While three sadly died, 18 were returned to the sea after the risk had passed and four were kept for breeding purposes. These new arrivals bring hope that the wild population could be replenished.
Image and video credit: The University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered species, and Ness Delpero.
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