Red handfish got their name for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, there are only 100 or so left in the world.
"If you've never seen a handfish before, imagine dipping a toad in some brightly coloured paint, telling it a sad story, and forcing it to wear gloves two sizes too big," states the Handfish Conservation Project.
Found exclusively in rocky reef areas near Hobart, Tasmania, the animals' habitat is threatened by boats, development, pollution, and, of course climate change.
The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) recently brought 25 of them into their care for protection from forecasted heatwaves.
From Discover Wildlife:
Red handfish are a species of anglerfish. Unlike other fish, they don't have a swim bladder to control their buoyancy, so they use their large hand-like fins to 'walk' along the seafloor. These peculiar creatures are around 8cm long – smaller than a playing card – and pink, red or brown in colour with a grumpy, downturned mouth.
Previously: Handfish—"Pretty much exactly what they sound like"
