First birthdays are always pretty special – and for our Red Handfish babies it’s really something to celebrate. But it’s more than a birthday. It’s a headstart for these criticallyendangered handfish in Tasmania.

IMAS at the University of Tasmania, CSIRO and Sea Horse World Tasmania hatched and raised these handfish, with some released into the wild in November, and a handful still in captivity. This week marks their first birthday!

The work was supported by the National Environmental Science Programme (NESP), the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation Inc (SWRRFI), and the Mohammed bin Zayed Conservation Fund.