Spotted handfish  (Brachionichthys hirsutus)

Range

Endemic to the lower Derwent River estuary in Tasmania, the spotted handfish was a relatively common species until the 1980s. The species has declined massively, however; only three breeding colonies were known to exist in 1998 (3).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

These bottom-dwelling fish are found on coarse to fine sand and silt, in coastal waters from depths of 2 to 30 metres (3).

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