'Ambassador' population of spotted handfish brings hope for re-wilding in Tasmania

A critically endangered fish from Tasmania has been given a boost in its odds for survival through a successful breeding effort interstate. Key points: The critically endangered spotted handfish has been bred in captivity for the first time outside Tasmania The baby handfish hatched more than a year ago and are now ready for display at Melbourne's aquarium It's hoped there will eventually be enough bred to return some to the wild Endemic to the island state, the spotted handfish is known for its preference of walking on hand-like pectoral fins across the seabed rather than swimming, and has become a big focus of marine conservation efforts. 📱 Download the ABC News app — Apple App Store | Google Play "But we do have a population back of house as well that are currently being reared as an ambassador population that we hope to house at a sister site either at Sydney or Mooloolaba." From there, the aquarium team worked to replicate the handfish's environmental conditions in the wild, including changes in temperature, food availability and lighting and salinity levels — to get conditions just right for breeding. All hands on deck approach needed CSIRO science technician Tim Fountain, who is involved with the spotted handfish conservation efforts in Tasmania, said being in a position to release captive-bred handfish into the wild was a situation researchers were eagerly awaiting.