Spotted Handfish

The spotted handfish is unusual in that it has highly adapted pectoral fins, which appear like hands and allow it to walk on the sea floor.

The Spotted Handfish lives in the demersal, non-migratory, marine, depth range 1 - 60 m , usually 5 - 15 m environment.

The Spotted Handfish is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Spotted Handfish is a critically endangered species that lives in Tasmania. It has an extremely restricted distribution due partially to its unusual life cycle. More

The spotted handfish, Brachionichthys hirsutus, is a rare Australian fish from the family Brachionichthyidae. It is classified as Critically Endangered (CR - A1cde) on the IUCN Red List 2002. More

The spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is found only in a small region of the lower Derwent Estuary near the city of Hobart, in southeastern Tasmania. It’s a small, colorful, friendly-looking fish that lives in shallow waters. More

Ironically, the spotted handfish, which grows to only 150mm in length as a mature adult, was one of the first Australian marine fish collected in the late 1790’s and was first described in 1804. More

spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) and its population, which is known to occur only in the Derwent Estuary, has collapsed over the past decade. More

The Spotted Handfish was one of the very first marine fish documented in Australian waters. Natasha Mitchell:This is the earliest known picture of what was then called the "walking fish. More

The spotted handfish is one of the world's most endangered marine fish. This extremely distinctive fish is almost pear-shaped and unusually, has hand-like 'paired fins' that enable it to 'walk' along the seafloor; both the pectoral and ventral fins ... More

Spotted handfish employing lure to feed on amphipods Spotted handfish employing lure to feed on amphipods Video credits © Sunburnt Pictures Audio credits © Master Tracks Spotted handfish male and female in natural habitat displaying to each More

There's only one place where the Spotted handfish has been found. In the Derwent Estuary and a few adjoining bays near Hobart in Australia. More

specifically surveyed all known spotted handfish areas and only found a few specimens. This is not good news for the handfish. More

The spotted handfish is endemic to a small area of south eastern Tasmania. Once considered to be the most common of the inshore handfishes, it has suffered a significant decline in abundance and is now rarely encountered. More

Handfish are endemic to Tasmanian waters, and the Spotted Handfish is one of the first fish species likely to become extinct, due to habitat destruction by the Northern Pacific Sea Star: a pest introduced by ballast water from Japanese woodchip vessels. More

The spotted handfish is a member of the family Brachionichthyidae (handfishes), and are closely related to anglerfish. They are a small fish, growing to around 12cm in length, white or cream in colour with numerous small orange or brown spots. More

A very rare spotted handfish on the sea bottom off the coast of Tasmania. This video was recorded offshore using a Triton XL Remote Operated Vehicle. 1. More

populations of spotted handfish, determine the causes for their decline and implement strategies to help their populations recover. More

Common names

Plettet håndfisk in Danish (dansk)
Prickly-skinned handfish in English
Red handfish in English
Spotted Handfish in English
Tortoiseshell fish in English
粗体澳洲躄鱼 in Mandarin Chinese
粗體澳洲躄魚 in Mandarin Chinese

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