A remarkable conservation effort is giving new hope to the critically endangered red handfish, with 232 hatchlings now thriving in the largest captive breeding event ever achieved for the species – and it’s a vital step in safeguarding the future of one of the world’s rarest fish.
“This program is improving in leaps and bounds. These individuals represent triple the captive red handfish population in Tasmania,” said IMAS researcher Dr Andrew Trotter, who co-leads the handfish conservation breeding program at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).
Dr Trotter said the eggs took just over 50 days to hatch after fertilisation and were cared for by their doting mothers during that time.
The young are raised in captivity and will go through ‘handfish school’ before being released into the wild. This conditioning and enrichment program trains them to survive and thrive in the wild, which is one of the critical components funded by our partners at the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species (FAME).
To read the full article, click the link below: New hatchlings triple red handfish conservation breeding program numbers | University of Tasmania
