The Battle to Save Australia’s Ultra Rare Grumpy Fish

A supplied image obtained on October 2, 2019, shows a red handfish. The fish is believed to be the world's rarest with fewer than 100 left on the planet. AAP Image/University of Tasmania, Rick Stuart-Smith

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.