The first modern-day species of fish has been declared extinct.
This species of fish was known as the Smooth Fish. They have been declared extinct by the IUCN: a conservation group that monitors the status of the world's species.
The Smooth Handfish was found in the Southwest Pacific. They were a small species of fish that were found off the coast of Tasmania, in Australia.
This is the first time in modern living times that a species of fish has been declared extinct. There has been, however, other marine animals that have been declared extinct in recent years: for example, the Yangze River Dolphin was declared extinct in 2007.
(In 2016, there were reported sightings of the Yangtze River Dolphin).
The end of the Smooth Handfish is sad. But it reminds us that we are in a Sixth Mass Extinction, where species are going extinct much faster than the normal rate.
It also serves as a reminder that we cannot just conserve the wild animals we like: the cuddly and appealing ones to our eyes. Smaller species play an important role in ecosystems and, if they disappear, so will the big ones that are popular.
RIP Smooth Fish. 😢
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