Endangered Australian fish have taken to seek refuge in discarded bottles in river beds, a research said on Tuesday.
\nThe study, compiled by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Csiro), said discarded bottles at the bottom of Tasmania\u2019s Derwent river were playing a key role in saving the spotted handfish from extinction, Xinhua news agency reported.<\/p>\n
The handfish, which uses fins resembling hands to \u201cwalk\u201d along the seabed, was the first marine species in the world to be listed as critically endangered.<\/p>\n
Csiro researcher Tim Lynch said discarded bottles were an ideal breeding location for the fish after their traditional breeding grounds were destroyed by man-made structures and pest species like seastars.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe seastars can\u2019t eat the bottles at least, and we often find spotted handfish hiding behind discarded bottles,\u201d Lynch said.<\/p>\n
Lynch said artificial habitats such as the bottles would be a large part of conservation efforts in the future.<\/p>\n
The Csiro and Zoo Aquarium Association recently committed $63,000 to a project Lynch is involved in, which places plastic sticks in the Derwent river for the handfish to lay their eggs on.<\/p>\n
Female handfish typically lay 200 eggs after breeding with a male which they then care for until they hatch.<\/p>\n
Plans for a captivity breeding programme have been approved which would see a small population captured and propagated at aquariums in Melbourne and Hobart.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet people have a look at these things\u2014hardly anyone has seen them,\u201d Lynch said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t be a rare fish, they used to be very common. There should be a spotted handfish every five metres of so in good habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n
IANS<\/p>\n
Picture courtesy: Alamy Image<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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