Rare ‘walking’ handfish captured on deep-sea camera in Bass Strait by CSIRO scientists

• Rare ‘walking’ fish spotted near Tasmania
• The fish has not been seen in over 25 years
• The fish use their fins as hands 

An elusive type of ‘walking’ fish is believed to have been caught on camera near a remote Bass Strait island, more than 25 years since the last sighting of the species.

Little is known about the narrowbody handfish, with just two specimens, obtained in 1986 and 1996 off the coast of Victoria, in existence.

Scientists were reviewing footage from a recent five-week trip on CSIRO vessel RV Investigator when they made the discovery.

Scientists have spotted a rare walking fish which was caught on camera on an island near the Bass Strait, off the coast of Tasmania

CSIRO research technician Carlie Devine said the handfish was 292 metres deep on the edge of an underwater canyon near Flinders Island, off mainland Tasmania’s northeast.

‘Handfish are so elusive to find. To be able to see (one), particularly one at this particular depth, was pretty extraordinary,’ she said.

There are several species of handfish, so-called because they get around using their fins as ‘hands’.

This includes the critically endangered spotted handfish, which lives at depths of 5-15m and the even rarer red handfish.

Spotted handfish were once common in southern Tasmania’s Derwent estuary but experienced a severe decline in the 1980s.

Ms Devine said the image was likely of a narrowbody handfish because of the depth and other features, although confirmation couldn’t occur without a specimen.

‘It doesn’t have any markings. It is very pale pink in colour. It has more of a robust upper body compared to other handfish,’ she said.

‘Without collecting a handfish we can’t really confirm what it is. But that’s our best guess and I think it is a reasonable guess.’

Ms Devine said it wasn’t unusual to see a handfish by itself on the seafloor.

The hand fish was 300metres underwater before is was spotted by scientists and it’s the first time in more than 25 years the species has been seen

‘They are often alone. When we do diving for our spotted handfish … they are usually always by themselves,’ she said.

‘They are very much lonely little creatures.’

The preferred habitat and potential population of the narrowbody handfish remain unknown, Ms Devine said.

The discovery was part of a trip aiming to better understand how climate change is impacting the marine environment off southeast Australia.

Ms Devine said she was hopeful of another voyage to the area and further underwater surveillance next year.

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