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The smooth handfish (Sympterichthys unipennis), an unusual species that could “walk” on its pectoral and pelvic fins, is the first marine bony fish to go extinct in modern times, likely due to habitat loss and destructive fishing practices.
There was only ever one specimen of the smooth handfish known to scientists, which became the holotype for the entire species.
The other 13 species of handfish are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, pollution, destructive fishing practices, and other human-linked causes, and conservationists are stepping up efforts to protect them.
Only four species of handfish have been spotted in the past 20 years, which has raised serious concerns for the future survival of these species. |
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There is only one photo of the smooth handfish: an image of a withered, yellowing specimen with pectoral fins that extend like arms, and a triangular crest attached to the top of its head. Sometime between 1800 and 1804, French zoologist François Péron plucked this fish out of the ocean while voyaging through Australia, presumably in the shallow coastal waters of southeastern Tasmania.
Since then, no other smooth handfish (Sympterichthys unipennis) has ever been spotted, and the fish that Péron collected became the holotype for the entire species. In March 2020, the IUCN officially declared the species to be extinct. |
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