Incredibly Rare Fish Found Only in Australia Is a Sight to Behold

Have you ever seen a walking fish? They do exist, but you can only find them in Australia. They're very cool to see if you're lucky enough to cross paths with one...they're also extremely rare and so most people will never get the chance to see one.

Australian Geographic shared a video of the walking fish called a handfish on Wednesday, February 13th and it's really cool to see! The video is under 20 seconds long and shows a pretty orange fish walking along the ocean floor. Check it out!

Pretty amazing, huh? Australian Geographic explains in the caption that this strange underwater creature can only be found in southern Australia. The reason why it doesn’t swim is because it “doesn't have a swim bladder to regulate its buoyancy and instead walks along the sea floor using its hand-shaped fins to move.”

Related: Woman Turns to the Internet to Find New Home for Brother’s Rare Arowana Fish

More Handfish Facts

I wasn't the only one who was impressed by this strolling fish. I had never heard of this fish before so I did some quick research to learn more about such a rare underwater creature. One commenter who watched the video shared, "Oh, how sad that they are rare. What an interesting fish!" Australian Geographic explained in the caption, "There are 14 known species living around the mainland coast and Tasmania. Unfortunately, handfish are incredibly rare, with three species classified as critically endangered." Sadly, the smooth handfish was the first modern fish that completely died out according to the International Union of Conservation of Nature.

I learned through my search that not a whole lot is known about these fish. They grow up to almost 6 inches long and eat small crustaceans, worms, and mollusks as they stroll along the floor. Like other anglerfish, handfish have an illicium, which is a modified dorsal fin ray above the mouth that is short and not used as a fishing lure.

Kiddle (the kid version of Google) states that "General threats to red handfish include small, very fragmented populations and local increases in density of native purple urchins. These urchins overgraze the seaweed habitat required for shelter and spawning for the red handfish."

Another cool thing that sets this fish apart from others is the way that they reproduce. Eggs‌ and sperm aren't released in the water for external fertilization; the male handfish "broods the eggs in a specialized pouch located ‍on its abdomen until they⁣ hatch." The dad does all of the work!

Handfish are so unique and so much is unknown about them. I love learning and sharing random facts about animals, and as a diver and avid ocean lover, this is a fish I'm adding to my bucket list and one that I hope to get to see for myself one day.

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