Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00300:body:0:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00300
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 6132–9880

state conservation status of the three species of threatened handfish
Table 2: Current distribution of threatened handfish species and key threats.
Figure 1: Modelled distribution of spotted handfish (Brachionicthys hirsutus)........................................15
Figure 2: Modelled distribution of red handfish (Thymichthys politus)....................................................16
Figure 3: Modelled distribution of Ziebell's handfish (Brachiopsilus ziebelli)..........................................17

Acronyms
CSIRO      Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Commonwealth)
DEP        Derwent Estuary Program
DotE       Department of the Environment (Commonwealth)
DPIPWE     Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania)
EPBC Act   Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
HRG        Handfish Recovery Group
IMAS       Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
IMCRA      Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia
IUCN       International Union for Conservation of Nature
LMRM Act   Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 (Tasmania)
MAST       Marine and Safety Tasmania
MNES       Matter of National Environmental Significance
NGO        Non-government organisation
NVA        Natural Values Atlas (Tasmania)
REDMAP     Range Extension Database and Mapping Project
SPRAT      Species Profile and Threats
TSP Act    Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tasmania)
TSSC       Threatened Species Scientific Committee
UTAS       University of Tasmania

1 Summary

Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus)

Family:    Brachionichthyidae

IMCRA Bioregion:  Known: Bruny
              Possible: Freycinet and Davey
                  Current status of taxon: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Critically Endangered
    Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tas): Endangered.
    IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered
                  Distribution and habitat: Spotted handfish occur in the lower Derwent Estuary and adjoining bays and channels. They inhabit benthic (seafloor) environments in association with coarse to fine sand and shell grit or silt, with a depth distribution ranging from 2 to 30 metres.

Red handfish (Thymichthys politus)

Family:    Brachionichthyidae
IMCRA Bioregion:  Known: Bruny
              Possible: Freycinet and Davey
                  Current status of taxon: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Critically Endangered
                  Distribution and habitat: Red handfish occur in Frederick Henry Bay and were historically recorded from sites off Port Arthur and the Forestier Peninsula. They inhabit a variety of locations, such as on top of rocks, amongst macro-algae, in sandy areas between rocks and the reef-sand interface and on sediments with weed clumps near reefs, with a depth distribution ranging from 1 to 20 metres.

Ziebell's handfish (Brachiopsilus ziebelli)

Family:    Brachionichthyidae
IMCRA Bioregion:  Possible: Bruny, Freycinet and Davey
                  Current status of taxon: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Vulnerable
                  Distribution and habitat: Ziebell's handfish historically occurred in widely disjunct populations across eastern and southern Tasmania, though the species current distribution is unknown. They inhabit a variety of locations, such as soft bottomed habitat with patches of rock that support sponge and algae communities, rocky-bottomed seafloor, on rock ledges and in cracks on open walls and in caves and on the edge of giant kelp forests, with a depth distribution ranging from 3 to 20 metres.

Habitat