Not yet extinct: This ‘walking’ fish was seen again for the first time in 22 years | Science

The pink hand fish is distinguished by its pink color and large fins that almost resemble hands. He uses his hands to “walk” over the sea floor, although fish can also only swim. The fish is found mainly in the waters off the island of Tasmania, south of the Australian mainland.

The fish were spotted in the Tasman Fracture Marine Park, a large nature reserve the size of Switzerland where life up to 4,000 meters deep has been found in a crack in the earth’s crust. Through images from the camera the scientists placed in the crevice, they unexpectedly learned that the fish might have been searching in the wrong places. It has long been believed that the pink handfish lives in shallow waters, but this specimen was found at a depth of 150 meters.

Research assistant Ashley Bastiansen reviewed the recordings from last October, and sure enough, she suddenly saw a pink handfish swimming past. “Suddenly a small fish appeared on the ledge where the camera was placed, and it looked strange,” she said. News letters. “When you looked closely, you could see his two little hands.” She immediately shared the news with her team.

Principal investigator Neville Barrett is thrilled about the discovery: “This is an exciting discovery, and it brings hope that the pink handfish is still alive. It is clear that they are widespread and inhabit a larger habitat than we first thought.” This is the first time they have taken a closer look at the fish and measured its size.

Fish live in the waters off the Australian island of Tasmania:

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