The red handfish (Thymichthys politus) is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Brachionichthyidae, the handfishes. Like all members of the handfish family this fish is endemic to Australia. The IUCN classify the red handfish as Critically Endangered.

Jul 20, 2024 · Unlike many fish, this bizarre animal, which lives on the seabed, doesn't have a swim bladder for buoyancy. Instead, its pectoral fins have evolved into large "hands" to help it move around by...

Learn about the latest red handfish research or learn about their cousin, the spotted handfish. Species: Thymichthys politus. Family: Brachionichthyidae. Order: Lophiiformes. Feeding: Small crustaceans and worms. Habitat: Partially sheltered sandy patches on shallow rocky reef. Distribution: Endemic to the GSR (only found in Tasmania)

Endemic to Tasmania’s eastern coast, the red handfish is so named because of its apparent use of its fins as hands, even using a type of walking motion on the seafloor. It’s a benthic fish, preferring to hang around the sandy and rocky bottoms of the seafloor.

Jan 24, 2018 · Within a stretch of reef about the size of a badminton court, they found a total of eight red handfish. The newly discovered colony of rare red handfish could double their total population...

In their handfish revision paper, Last and Gledhill (2009) created the new genus name Thymichthys, in which T. politus and T. verrucosus (the Warty Handfish) are now classified.

Red Handfish (Thymichthys politus) Facts: Profile: Diet, Range. The red handfish emerges as a captivating embodiment of biodiversity, navigating the fine line between existence and endangerment in the depths of Australian waters.

Red handfish use their hand-like fins for crawling rather than swimming. There are two color varieties: bright red with a red body and fins, with a black line separating the white edges of the fins, and mottled with a pink body covered with many red spots, with translucent pink fins that show a few bright red spots.

Jan 25, 2018 · The red handfish is a funny little critter that uses its fins to scuttle along the rocky seafloor. Dwelling exclusively in the waters off Tasmania, it is also one of the rarest fish in the...

This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: large esca, 45-65% (mean 52%) of illicium length (including esca); short illicium, thick and fleshy, no dermal spinules, length 14-17% SL, 3-3.4 times in head length, well separated from upper jaw (pre-illicial length 3.3-7.9% SL); moderate size eye, 6.9-9.3 times in head ...