Divers James Parkinson, Brad Turner, and Bob Van Der Velde were exploring the wreck of the SS Tasman earlier this year when they came across a rare and endangered creature—a pink handfish. The grumpy-looking fish is not only very rare but also very odd.
The handfish has a large mouth, which appears slightly downturned, as if it’s frowning. Living up to its name, the handfish also “walks” along the seafloor with its “hands” (modified pectoral fins). Handfishes are a type of anglerfish (related to the deep-sea anglerfish with the dangling lure), so that mohawky thing on top of the pink handfish’s head just runs in the family.
All dozen or so handfish species live in the waters surrounding Tasmania and Australia. The SS Tasman wreck sits 230 feet below the surface near the Tasman Peninsula, and that’s where Parkinson, Turner, and Van Der Velde spotted and filmed this particular animal.
In a YouTube video by Tasmanian Underwater Explorer, who doesn’t identify himself by name, you can watch the moments leading up to the discovery and the discovery itself. The caption claims divers have only seen a pink handfish on three other occasions. Tasmanian Underwater Explorer also claims these are the first images divers have taken of the rare fish.
Watch the discovery here:
Pink Handfish Are at Risk of Extinction
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists pink handfish as “endangered” on its Red List of Threatened Species. Since handfishes’ range is very limited (these are walking fish, after all, how far can they go?), the animals are particularly at risk from habitat destruction and changing climate in their environment. In fact, IUCN declared one species, the smooth handfish, extinct as recently as 2020.
Have you ever heard of a fish with “hands”?