Have you ever heard of a fish that walks on its hands?

This fish, which looks like it has arms, is the Red Handfish. It is a rare species discovered in Australia in 2018, with about 100 individuals reported to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Red Handfish is said to inhabit the island of Tasmania, south of Australia.

But the Red Handfish isn't the only fish with hands. In 2021, the Pink Handfish was discovered after 22 years, and there are also species such as the Spotted Handfish and the Ziebell's Handfish.

Due to the handfish's unusual appearance, many people wanted to keep them as pets. This led to an increase in the number of people illegally catching handfish. Some people even began collecting handfish eggs. All handfish species are critically endangered.

The Red Handfish, Spotted Handfish, and Ziebell's Handfish are all critically endangered (CR) species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. The Pink Handfish is an endangered (EN) species.

It is believed that the Red Handfish became endangered due to climate change-induced temperature changes and water pollution. Polluted water from cities flows into the sea, destroying their habitats. Red Handfish have a very low reproduction rate, making it difficult to maintain their population naturally.

Therefore, the IMAS (Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies) team at the University of Tasmania attempted to artificially hatch Red Handfish, resulting in the successful birth of 21 Red Handfish. With their small population and extreme endangerment, there are various efforts to conserve them.

Handfish conservation projects are working to preserve various types of handfish, including the Red Handfish.

One project that stands out is the one where handfish are given names. This project allows sponsors to donate $1,000 to give a name to one of the fewer than 100 Red Handfish. While you can't actually keep them as pets, this project is a great opportunity to show your interest and affection for the Red Handfish by giving them names. Sponsors' donations are used for research into the conservation of the Red Handfish, including protection and monitoring. There are still many handfish without names, so why not give one a name if you're interested?

Ziebell's Handfish has not been seen for over 10 years, raising concerns about its extinction. The Handfish Conservation Project is also waiting for reports about Ziebell's Handfish. In addition, the project is continuing its efforts to prevent the extinction of handfish, including habitat protection, research, and population monitoring. We hope that with the efforts of many researchers and the interest of the public, we can continue to see handfish for a long time to come.