• 10 - 15 cm long

• endemic to coastal waters of south-eastern Australia, notably the lower Derwent River estuary in Tasmania

• immediately recognisable for its hand-like fins which allow it to ‘walk’ along the seafloor; the pattern of spots is unique to each individual 

• reported to prey upon polychaete worms, small fish, and crustaceans

• spawn during September and October; females lay 80 - 250 eggs in masses, most often on vertical objects, and guard them for seven to eight weeks

• current IUCN status is Critically Endangered - the species underwent a severe decline in the mid 1980s, possibly due to the introduction of the Northern Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurensis); it is also threatened by habitat deterioration

Photograph: Rick Stuart-Smith