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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Adam Morton Climate and environment editor

Scientists warn Maugean skate, Tasmania’s ‘thylacine of the sea’, one extreme weather event from extinction

Maugean skate underwater on the bay floor
The Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana) is an ancient endangered species believed to only survive in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast. Photograph: Dave Moreno

Scientists have warned an ancient fish species that has survived since the time of the dinosaurs could be one extreme weather event from extinction after its population crashed by nearly half in seven years.

The Maugean skate, described by marine scientists as a “thylacine of the sea”, is found only in Macquarie Harbour, a vast body of water on Tasmania’s remote west coast.

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