Humans are frequently interested in alien life and what exists outside of our globe. But, the reality is that you do not need to look for undiscovered life things outside of Earth. This is because our world is a large repository of species, each of which is distinctive in its own way. The environment in the seas is very different. They contain a variety of bizarre aquatic animals that are unknown to the general public and could astound you. Today, we’re going to tell you about one such animal.
Fish utilize their fins to swim in the water, as we all know. Would you believe us if we said there was a fish that could move? Yep, that’s accurate. On the shoreline close to the Australian island of Tasmania, this peculiar fish has been seen. The Handfish is a species of fish that has been targeted for conservation by the University of Tasmania because it is in danger of going extinct.
Instead of having fins, this fish has projecting arms that it uses to move on the ocean floor hundreds of feet below the surface. The fact that it can only be found at the very bottom of the ocean, close to the bed, where it walks, contributes to its incapacity to swim.
In all, South Australia is home to 14 different handfish species. Yet, as a result of global warming and increased human activity close to their habitat, the number of handfish is fast declining. Handfish’s biology is little understood, and because of their relatively tiny population numbers and constrained locations, they are extremely susceptible to disturbances.
Handfish, commonly referred to as warty anglers, may grow to a maximum length of 15 cm (5.9 inches), and their skin is covered with denticles (scales that mimic teeth).
Three years ago, one of its species was proclaimed extinct. In March 2020, the Smooth Handfish (Sympterichthys Unipennis) was listed as extinct by the IUCN Red List. This is the first contemporary marine species whose extinction has been publicly acknowledged. It used to be common enough to be among the first fish in Australia that European explorers recorded, but it hasn’t been seen in more than a century. Nevertheless, due to a lack of data to confirm its status, this was canceled in September 2021.
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