In case you ever forgot the extraordinary diversity that lives under the sea, the with hands It is a good example to remember the great marine peculiarity. From to , everything in the depths seems to be part of a fantasy world.
It still seems ironic that we know so much more about space than we do about the seabed itself on Earth. We want to think that the exploration conditions are more complex in the sea than in the stars themselves or at least that there is more interest in discovering the cosmos than the depths.
However, there are a few who are attracted to the immensity of the ocean and among their explorations they discovered truly wonderful beings. Such is the case of the fish with hands, yes, you read that right. Well, they are not human hands as such, but they are curious limbs that look like hands.
A fish with hands that is in danger
The spotted handfish or Brachionichthys hirsutus It stands out for having pectoral fins that work perfectly for walking and moving along the bottom of the sea. Thanks to them this species can literally walk through the sand causing quite a peculiar scene.
But not everywhere you can enjoy its presence, it is only found on the southeastern coast of Tasmania, where there are enough crustaceans, shells and worms to feed on and protect their eggs.
Despite having excellent subsistence habitat, the handfish is critically endangered due to the invasion of North Pacific starfish. These stars feed mainly on handfish eggs, which contributed to the fish entering the
Without a doubt, this is a bleak outlook for the handed fish and would make it the second species in this family to disappear. The first loss was the smooth handfish or sympterichthys unipennisa species that was considered a cousin of the handed fish.
The smooth handfish was the first marine fish species to be classified as a case of “modern extinction.” Therefore, nesting work for the fish with hands becomes more important every day.
Sightings in the depths are an excellent sign that everything is going well for them, although it is not an example of the difficulties that the species faces in general. For now, its existence is a privilege for the planet and knowing it is another way to ensure its long life in the oceans.