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National recovery plan for four species of handfish

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Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005

PLEASE NOTE: This plan was superseded in March 2016 by the Recovery Plan for Three Handfish Species: Spotted handfish Brachionichthys hirsutus, Red handfish Thymichthys politus and Ziebell's handfish Brachiopsilus ziebelli.

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About the plan

Handfish are endemic to Tasmanian waters. Handfish are small, colourful, relatively sedentary, benthic fish that prefer to 'walk' on their pectoral fins rather than swim. These pectoral fins are hand-like, hence their common name. Three species of handfish are listed as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)*; these are:

  • Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus)
  • Red handfish (Thymichthys politus)
  • Ziebell's (Waterfall Bay) ​handfish (Brachiopsilus ziebelli)

The recovery plan addresses the statutory requirements of the EPBC Act. It identifies targeted actions that will assist the recovery of the species. The recovery plan is supported by a non-statutory, peer reviewed issues paper which describes the biology, threats and conservation status of the species.

* At the time the recovery plan was made four species of handfish were listed on the threatened species lists of the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). Subsequently, red handfish, formally known as Brachionichthys politus, was renamed as Thymichthys politus; and Ziebell’s and Waterfall Bay handfish were re-classified as a single species under the name Brachiopsilus ziebelli. ​

About the issues paper

The issues paper provides background information on the biology and threats to the handfish species covered by the recovery plan.

About the review

Under the EPBC Act the Minister must review all recovery plans (Section 279 (1)). The Department, in consultation with an expert working group, finalised the review of the Handfish Recovery Plan (2005) in October 2013. The expert working group that conducted the review had representatives from relevant Commonwealth agencies, Tasmanian government agencies, the University of Tasmania and local community action groups. Based on the review of the Handfish Recovery Plan (2005), the expert working group concluded that the threats to the three handfish species remain largely unchanged and that known handfish populations have not demonstrably increased in size. The expert working group recommended that a new recovery plan be developed for the three threatened handfish species.