On two tiny patches of reef in Tasmania a bizarre walking fish with over-sized jazz hands and a fluffy pom-pom on its head is barely hanging on.
With just 100 or so left in the wild, the aptly named red handfish makes Australia’s other critically endangered species seem positively abundant.
But a team of dedicated researchers has been toiling for years to ensure the survival of the grumpy-looking creature, about which little is known.
Threatened species ecologist Tyson Bessell says it’s a complicated business attempting to unravel the secrets of an animal while simultaneously trying to save it from extinction….