There are fewer than 3,000 spotted handfish remaining in the wild. Of the red handfish, only 100 adults are thought to remain, while the Ziebell’s hasn’t been spotted in the wild since 2007. The red handfish is currently only found on two small patches of reef in south-eastern Tasmania. In the Derwent River, the team has planted artificial habitat to encourage spotted handfish spawning, which has already shown promising results in stabilizing populations, says Stuart-Smith. The Ziebell's handfish is the most elusive of the three pecies, with no confirmed sightings since 2007.

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Persons: Nicolas Remy, Remy, Nicolas REMY Eventually, ”, Ziebell’s, Tyson Bessell, Jemina Stuart, Smith, Stuart, Andrew Green, Mark Strickland Organizations: CNN, Andrew Locations: Derwent, Sydney, Australia, Tasmania, American