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Fishes, Field Trips and Club Meetings ANGFA unites like-minded people around the country
Fishes and macroinvertebrate surveying crew and volunteers at the 2018 Bob Brown Foundation Bioblitz in north western Tasmania. This annual event brings people from all walks of life together in the Tarkine wilderness for a weekend of science, conservation and exploration. See article inside. Photo: John Lenagan
Galaxias brevipinnis, from upper Nelson Bay River north western Tasmania, with parasite attached. Photo: John Lenagan ANGFA NEWS 60
A joung volunteer learns that patience and persistance pays off when dipnetting. Photo: Greg Martin
February 2019
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AUSTRALIA NEW GUINEA FISHES ASSOCIATION Working together to promote the aquarium keeping, conservation, study and propagation of the native fish species of Australia and New Guinea. 37 Yarra Street, Kaleen ACT 2617, Australia President: Peter Unmack Vice President: Graeme Finsen Secretary/Membership Officer: David Shoesmith Treasurer: John Lenagan
ANGFA Directory
president@angfa.org.au vp@angfa.org.au secretary@angfa.org.au, membership@angfa.org.au treasurer@angfa.org.au
Richard Blake (NSW) Michael Jones (ACT) Greg Martin (VIC) Keith Martin (QLD) Karl Moy (ACT) David Roberts (QLD) Graham Thompson (WA) Dave Wilson (NT) Ken Boorman (North America)
spqrblake@hotmail.com michaeljones351@bigpond.com greg@aquariumsbydesign.com.au keith.c.martin@outlook.com karl.gmoy@hotmail.com david.t.roberts@seqwater.com.au graham@terrestrialecosystems.com aqua.green@bigpond.com lisas_lair_bookstore@kent.net
Fishes of Sahul: pub@angfa.org.au Greg Martin, Glenn Briggs, Peter Unmack, Greg Wallis, John Lenagan, Leo Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly, David Shoesmith, Matthew Stanton and Derek Tustin. newsletter@angfa.org.au
ANGFA News: Greg Martin, Peter Unmack and Greg Wallis.
Any Editor who wishes, may reprint articles (except those indicated as copyright) with the following acknowledgment: Reprinted from ANGFA News, The Newsletter of the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association.
The opinions expressed in published material are those of the individual author/s and do not necessarily reflect those of the ANGFA national committee, nor does the committee guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying-on any information in this publication. Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to newsletter@angfa.org.au Find us online at Facebook Website: Forum: Fish and habitat database: Print Post Approval PP325091/0003
www.facebook.com/groups/5600808970/ www.angfa.org.au www.forums.angfa.org.au www.angfa.org.au/angfa-database.html Incorporated Registration number A0027788J
ANGFA Directory ANGFA National Report ANGFA Fish Conservation Fund Convention 2019 Promo ANGFA Queensland report ANGFA Victoria Report ANGFA NSW Report ANGFA ACT Report ANGFA WA Report ANGFA North America Report Fishy news from around the country Featured Artist: Gavin Ireland Recent Scientific Publications Book Promos Friends of ANGFA and Club Sponsors
CONTENTS
ANGFA NEWS 60
February 2019
2 3 4 5 6-11 12-32 33-36 37 37 38-39 40-44 45 46-47 48-52 53 PAGE 2
ANGFA National Report
Membership renewals Please make sure that if you pay for membership by a direct deposit to our bank account that you tell us who you are! We have a few members who have paid this way, but we don’t know who they are! If you don’t inform us we can’t record you in the membership database. Please include your name in the “Description on your statement” field or notify us via email.
(Rhadinocentrus ornatus) or Rhads as most people refer to them as. The article is written by Leo O’Reilly and Adrian Tappin who both have extensive experience between them with this fish. The article also is graced with tons of awesome images from Gunther Schmida from across the species range.
Fishes of Sahul Update The next issue of Fishes of Sahul will be prepared shortly after this newsletter goes out. It contains a big feature article which will take up the whole issue on Softspined Sunfish
Convention The next convention is scheduled for October 11-13, 2019 in Melbourne. See the flier in the newsletter for full details.
New ANGFA Conservation Research Grant We are proud to announce the establishment of a new annual grant from ANGFA for $1000 to assist a person undertaking research that will contribute to the conservation of Australian and New Guinea fishes. We hope over time to be able to increase the size and number of grants as funds become available. See the details on the following page.
Fishes of Sahul 2018 Hardcopy The hard copy of volume 32 is now available on the website for $50. See the photo below for an idea of the front and back design. There is a more detailed flier in the newsletter for the full details on how to purchase it. We only print a small number of copies which is based on the number that is ordered, thus if you don’t order it online it is likely you will miss out on getting a copy. These are destined to be quite collectable.
Screenshot from the ANGFA website page where you order your FOS hardcopy. Greg Wallis has done an amazing job of creating this cover. It is a composite of photos from Michael Hammer, Gunther Schmida and Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
February 2019
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FISH CONSERVATION FUNDING $1,000 for conservation research into Australian and New Guinea fishes
ANGFA Conservation Fund ANNUAL RESEARCH GRANT
The Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association (ANGFA) is supporting conservation programs for Australian and New Guinea fishes. It has established a small conservation fund that it will grow as funds become available. In the first instance it is offering an annual cash grant of $1,000 to assist a person undertaking research that will contribute to the conservation of Australian and New Guinea fishes. Application guidelines Research proposals should be no longer than two pages, plus a separate page for a budget and timeline. Applicants should include a clear statement as to how their research will contribute to the conservation of a particular fish or fish assemblage. Proposal format should indicate:
• question(s) to be investigated; • research objective(s); • proposed methods; and • potential conservation outcomes.
Each proposal should be accompanied by a two-page resume from the applicant, and if the applicant is a student, then a letter of support from their supervisor. If the two best proposals are very similar, then preference will be given to a current ANGFA member. All applications and queries should be addressed to: Dr Graham Thompson Chair of the ANGFA conservation fund assessment committee graham@terrestrialecosystems.com or mobile: 0438 491 227. Applications close 31 March 2019
The ANGFA conservation fund committee will ask that the grant recipient write a non-technical article on their research for its journal Fishes of Sahul.
ANGFA CONVENTION 2019 Melbourne 11th–13th October The Australia New Guinea Fishes Association Victoria (ANGFA Vic) in conjunction with ANGFA Incorporated (ANGFA National), are proud to present the world renowned ANGFA Convention for 2019. This is the largest event focusing on Australian and New Guinea fishes anywhere in the fishkeeping realm.
The Australia New Guinea Fishes Association (ANGFA) Convention is held every two years and this year it’s in Melbourne! A non-profit organisation, ANGFA’s objectives are to promote the study, conservation and culture of the native fresh water fish species of Australia and New Guinea, and to provide a forum for the exchange of information. Attending and ANGFA Convention is a must for anyone with a keen interest in these fishes and their aquatic habitats, (ideal for scientists, naturalists, fish hobbyists or students with a keen or professional interest in these topics.) The convention is a biennial event – miss this one and you will have to wait until 2021. The event will be held over the weekend of October 11–13 at the Best Western Airport Motel and Convention Centre Attwood (10 minute drive from Melbourne Airport)
Key Points
• Excellent speakers from Australia and Europe (including some of Australia’s leading fish scientists) giving informative and entertaining presentations on a range of topics including conservation efforts, discovery of new species, field observations, aquarium care, and parasite control.
• Mega Fish Auction – huge range of Aust/PNG aquarium fish species, native aquatic invertebrates and plants, including many species that are rarely available in the mainstream aquarium trade.
• Catered event – lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided. • 4 star accommodation available at convention venue, with a discounted rate for bed and buffet breakfast for convention attendees.
• Convention dinner on Saturday night • Opportuntiy to mingle with fellow fish enthusiasts from all over Australia and from overseas • Early bird registration option available – book before end of June and receive a discounted rate • Free parking is available adjacent to the convention building • Free airport shuttle bus to the venue • Heaps of great raffle prizes courtesy of our sponsors
BOOK EARLY and DON’T MISS OUT For more convention details and to book online visit the ANGFA website by clicking here.
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 40
ANGFA Queensland Inc. Report President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Memberships Shop Drinks Field trips Field trips Librarian Assistant Editor QFAS Delegate QFAS Delegate QFAS Delegate Other
Graeme Finsen Leo O’Reilly Peter Johnson Fran Stahr David Shoesmith Michael Cocks George Brand Darrell Chase Andrew Bingham David Roberts David Roberts Steve Baines Peter Ford Graeme Finsen Greg Ure Leo Lee
Office Bearers 2019 finsen@optusnet.com.au leo@ddba.com.au peterrjohnson@hotmail.com frances.stahr@gmail.com davidshoesmith@outlook.com michaelcocks159@gmail.com ghbrand@bigpond.com dwchase@tpg.com.au abingham@vtown.com.au David.T.Roberts@seqwater.com.au David.T.Roberts@seqwater.com.au windowsofwater@hotmail.com peterford@terrace.qld.edu.au finsen@optusnet.com.au gregure@ozemail.com.au leolee1@bigpond.com
December AGM Update The December meeting of ANGFA Qld was also its Annual General Meeting in which Graeme Finsen as the outgoing President, presented “2018 in Review” incorporating the President’s report, the Financial status of the club, the membership status, the new Newsletter (and access to “Fishes of Sahul”) as well as the 3 Field Trips held and the future December Field Trip/Working Bee at Indigiscapes. He also presented on some of the key Conservation activities that ANGFA Qld and their members have been involved in. At the end of the presentations, the existing office bearers stood down and the following committee elected:
Following on from the AGM, the meeting launched into three Speakers, all of whom were recent attendees of the very successful “Combined ANGFA Survey Trip” held in and around Bryon Bay in October. First speaker was Leo O’Reilly who planned out the actual survey and discussed his vision of expanding our knowledge base (and photographic base – thanks Gunther) of the Ornate Rainbowfish – Rhadinocentrus ornatus. Next was Graeme Finsen who led one of the teams of seven ANGFA members starting at Billinudgel in the north, sampling all the way south to Myocum on the way back to Bryon Bay. And closing out the night was David Roberts who travelled further inland to the headwaters of the Wilsons River with the amazing countryside that this part of Australia offers.
February Meeting - Show and Tell Night February’s meeting was a slight change to the usual format of invited speaker. Instead we offered the floor for anyone to speak about anything they wanted to. We had presentations on home fish keeping setups from Darrell Chase and his IBC ponds, Graeme Finsen and his fish/room and outdoor pond layout and management approach (with accompanying spreadsheet… spot the Engineer), David Roberts and his build process for a 6 foot built-in wall display tank, and finally Trevor Voevodin spoke about his mega tanks recycled from an former industrial use, making for two very impressive large and low maintenance semi-indoor/outdoor display tanks with monster trifasciata’s. ANGFA NEWS 60
0401 052 093 0438 733 789 0412 426 441 0432 844 819 0417 004 683 0414 413 691 0426 197 155 0403 012 818 0498 015 309 0488 012 208 0488 012 208 0448 890 798 0402 317 204 0401 052 093 0419 660 410 0409 536 533
Club meeting details
ANGFA Qld meets at Bar Jai Hall, 178 Alexandra Road, Clayfield, Brisbane on the second Friday of every second month from February, meetings commence at 7.30 pm
ANGFA Qld Calendar the rest of 2019
General Meetings February 14th April 12th June 14th August 9th October 11th December 13th
Committee Meetings January 11th March 8th May 10th July 12th September 13th November 8th
https://www.facebook.com/angfaqld
Please note the recent change in our postal address:
February 2019
ANGFA Qld Inc c/- 1 Wall Street, Bundamba Qld 4304 PAGE 6
Darrell Chase’s immaculate rainbow ponds made from cut down IBC’s and a bit of handy wood work. Photo: Darrell Chase.
Close up of Darrell’s ponds with crystal clear water and healthy macrophytes. Rainbow fish heaven. Photo: Darrell Chase.
Graeme Finsen’s outdoor ponds. 200L Bunnings bins and a bit of shade cloth. Mops rotate from tanks to ponds to hatch fry and let them fend for themselves. Simple but it works. Photo: Graeme Finsen.
More of Graeme’s ponds. These have a selection of ANGFA auction plant purchases growing in as well. Mmmm, look at all that lovely green water for the fry. Photo: Graeme Finsen. ANGFA NEWS 60
No-one could ever accuse Graeme of not planning. Here is his master planning sheet complete with schematic layout of ponds (black symbols), bath tubs, IBC’s and fish room tanks (clear and blue symbols). Photo: Graeme Finsen.
February 2019
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Field Trips Rhadinocentrus Breeding Program ANGFA Qld maintain a Rhadinocentrus ornatus breeding program at the Indigescapes environmental education centre in Capalaba, Qld. The program maintains four unique populations of Rhads from the SEQ region that are under threat from regional urbanisation and habitat modification, including Tingalpa Creek, Serpentine Creek, Eprapah Creek and Coolnwynipin Creek. The aim is to maintain these strains and make them available for Redland Shire Council to restock the respective waterways. On the 16th December 2018 ANGFA Qld members Peter Johnson, Graeme Finsen, Andrew Bingham, Darrel Chase, Cassandra Reid and David Roberts held a working bee to maintain and check on the progress of the fish in the systems. Maintenance included removing excess leaf litter falling in from the surrounding trees, and removing excess duck weed (Lemna minor), checking the filtration and recirculating pumps and finally a health check of the Rhads. Each location had good numbers of fish in the ponds with a wide range of sizes found indicating recruitment was occurring.
It was discussed at the working bee, that the lack of cover and substrate for spawning in the ponds was not ideal, so a follow up visit by Peter and David was done to establish some macrophytes in the ponds to create extra habitat, spawning sites and improve water quality. A previous attempt to establish some Vallisneria and Hydrilla was unsuccessful possibly due to the highly tannin stained water in the ponds and the depth being around 1.1 meters, shading out the plants, and the shallow trays used that were easily disturbed during maintenance and plants uprooted. For the second attempt, we cable tied pots to upturned crates to raise the plants closer to the water surface and sowed deeper pots with heavier substrate, in the hope the plants would establish stronger roots and reach the sunlight at the surface. A trial was also started of growing emergent wetland species in the filtration troughs. These will aid in water quality and could be used as
David Roberts using a multi-parameter water quality meter to test the quality of the ponds for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity and turbidity. Photo: Graeme Finsen.
further habitat in the ponds should they flourish. A follow up visit will occur once the macrophytes have had a chance to establish and repeated water quality tests will be taken to see if there have been improvements.
Rhadinocentrus ornatus 3,000L breeding ponds, each with a recirculating filtration system and shade cloth cover. Each pond maintains a separate Rhad location. Photo: Peter Johnson. ANGFA NEWS 60
February 2019
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Members Andrew (left), Cassandra (middle) and Graeme (right) tend to ponds by removing excess leaf litter and duck weed growth (Lemna minor). Photo: David Roberts.
One of the four Rhadinocentrus ornatus forms maintained at this site. All populations were doing well with a range of sizes found in each pond. Abundance was hard to know given the tannin stained waters. Photo: Greg Ure. Macrophytes planted out into the ponds. Species used included Vallisneria, Persicaria, Potamogeton and Hydrilla. The highly tannin stained water is clear to see in this photograph. Photo: David Roberts.
A trial was also started to grow a range of emergent macrophytes in the filtration troughs. Some of these may be suitable as pond plants and should aid in filtration within the filter troughs. Photo: David Roberts. ANGFA NEWS 60
Peter Johnson preparing macrophyte pots with substrate. Note them raised off the bottom with crates to get plants closer to sunlight at the surface. Crate will also provide some extra habitat. Photo: David Roberts.
February 2019
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Rhadinocentrus ornatus from Coolnwynipin Creek. Photo: Gunther Schmida.
Rhadinocentrus ornatus from Eprapah Creek. Photo: Gunther Schmida.
Rhadinocentrus ornatus from Serpentine Creek. Photo: Gunther Schmida.
Rhadinocentrus ornatus from Tingalpa Creek. Photo: Gunther Schmida.
Ingham Stormwater Wetlands Inspection ANGFA Qld representatives Peter Johnson, Graeme Finsen and David Roberts undertook an informal field survey of the storm and waste water handling wetlands at the Inghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Murarrie industrial site on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Where possible, physical water quality parameters in the ponds were recorded and fish were sampled with dip nets. Baited traps were also trialled but proved to be unsuccessful during this survey.
A large Empire Gudgeon, (Hypseleotris compresa), Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris gallii) and Gambusia found in one of the ponds inspected. Photo: Graeme Finsen
Peter Johnson and David Roberts inspecting one of the stormwater ponds on the Ingham site. ANGFA was asked to comment on ways to improve the quality of the habitat for native species. Photo: Graeme Finsen. ANGFA NEWS 60
At the time of the survey, a number of the ponds had little or no standing water, reflecting the very dry period Brisbane has been through the last 6 months. Those that contained standing water, were either very eutrophic (excessive nutrient loading) with very high algal biomass, or contained dense floating and emergent water plants. Only four fish species were confirmed in the ponds at relatively low numbers.
February 2019
PAGE 10
water in dry times and encourage submerged macrophytes. The creation of areas for emergent plants and wetland tolerant trees was also proposed to shade the water and reduce the density of emergent macrophytes. ANGFA Qld will continue to provide advise on improving aquatic habitats on the Inghams site.
Where is the water Peter?. The dry conditions in Brisbane this summer had led to rapid evaporation losses in many of the ponds. Not so great for fish habitat. Photo: Graeme Finsen
The most widespread fish species was the introduced Plague Minnow (Gambusia holbrooki, with low numbers of the introduced Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus also present. Only one of the ponds contained native fish including the Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii) and Empire Gudgeon (Hypseleotris compressa). These were found in a deep section shaded by overhanging trees. A third fish species, presumed to be Blue Catfish (Neoarius graeffei) was briefly observed breaking the surface under the dense mats of Azolla, but could not be caught to confirm the identification. It is possible other fish species are present but the limited sampling and dense vegetation made assessment difficult.
Even some of the more eutrophied ponds had some wildlife value. Likely an Eastern Snake Neck (Chelodina longicollis) kept a close eye on us while we took water quality measurements. Also spotted in the same pond was a Kreffts turtle (Emydura krefttii). Photo: Graeme Finsen
Mary River Cod Research Project At our February meeting David Roberts also spoke about a research project that ANGFA volunteers could get involved in, to raise Mary River Cod fingerlings for 2-3 years (depending on members tank size) and to take regular photographs of them to track the formation of patterns on the head of the Cod over the first few years of life. The goal is to see if these patterns can be used as fingerprints to reliably identify a fish for life, similar to how citizens taking holiday snaps can identify individual Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, etc.
While a drying pond might not be good for fish, it is still suitable for wading birds. Up to 6 species of birds were present at the time of the inspection. Photo: Graeme Finsen
ANGFA provided some advice on refurbishment options to improve the quality of the habitat for fish and other aquatic animals and reducing the conditions favourable for pest species to flourish. The site is very close to the large urbanised waterway, Bulimba Creek, and wetland system so enhancing habitat for Australian natives is a worthwhile endeavour. This included remodelling stormwater ponds to create areas of deeper and shallow water, areas for permanent ANGFA NEWS 60
Another great image from Gunther Schmidaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s library. A juvenile Mary River Cod about 5 months old showing distinctive body patterns but no clear markings on the head at this age. Photo: Gunther Schmida.
February 2019
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ANGFA Victoria Inc. Report
Club meeting details
ANGFA Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting are held on the first Friday of every second month starting the year in Feb, at The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria which is situated at 1 Gardenia Street Blackburn. Doors open at 7:30pm. Meetings start at 8.15pm sharp and aim to be finished by 10pm, followed by supper.
Meeting dates for 2019:
Friday 1st February Friday 5th April Friday 7th June Friday 2nd August No club meeting in October due to Convention Friday 6th December
ANGFA Vic Committee Meetings: Venues: to be announced. Contact Greg Martin if you would like to be further involved (0407 094 313).
Trading Table Any financial ANGFA member who has fish, plants or live food that they would like to sell is invited to bring their goods to the trade table. All items being presented for sale must be clearly marked: fish showing species name and location if applicable and plants identified by species. Goods will be accepted prior to 7.45pm and the Trading Table will operate between 7.45 and 8.15pm.
Office Bearers 2019
President: Greg Martin 0407 094 313 Treasurer: John Lenagan 0413 730 414 Secretary: Chris Lamin 0429 492 485 Membership Officer: Rodney Wubbin ANGFA Vic website: Paul Byham webmaster@angfavic.org Field Trip Coordinator: Greg Martin 0407 094 313 Committee helpers: Tim Curmi, John Deckavalis, and Ross Weber.
Another busy year begins for ANGFA Victoria, with a convention to organise and host in October. Our convention committee has been working overtime to confirm a great presenter lineup. With a fabulous new venue booked and all the finer details coming together we are taking the steps required to ensure that this convention is a must-attend event as usual.
Our next field trip is to the Murray River this coming weekend. Location and details are the same as the last few years. Check Facebook and your email inbox for details. See you there! Greg Martin
https://www.facebook.com/ANGFA-VIC-1753678918277833
Other fish groups in Victoria
EDAS Meets last Friday of the month starting Jan. Contact: Daryl Maddock (03) 9874 1850
EDAS Plant Study Group Meets Second Friday of the month (at various membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes). Contact: Eddie Tootell (03) 9337 6435 (a.h.)
Aquarium Society of Victoria (AS of V) Meets last Friday of the month, alternating with EDAS. Contact: Daryl Maddock (03) 9874 1850
Marine Aquarium Society of Victoria (MASOV), Contact: (03) 9830 6073. Victorian Cichlid Society Meets first Wednesday of the month. Contact: Graham Rowe (03) 9560 7472. ANGFA NEWS 60
John Cousins, proud winner of our February club meeting raffle. Photo: Greg Martin
February 2019
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Dwarf Galaxias and Little Galaxias, from Rhys Coleman’s presentation to ANGFA Vic, 7th December 2018
Many thanks to Gunther Schmida for providing the beautiful images of Galaxiella toourtkoourt that we used as a presentation gift to thank Rhys Coleman for his presenting at our December 2018 club meeting.
Those of us with a long history at the club had heard a lot about Rhys, particularly when work was being done restoring habitats to the south east of Melbourne. He was always a sympathetic and helpful ally in our work.
So it was great to meet the man in the flesh these many years later. He has a position of director of research at Melbourne Water and is a very interesting and dynamic speaker. The only worry we had was his punctuality: he was supposed to leave for another appointment at 9 pm but was still talking with us well after that. I suppose we can all sympathise with the trouble we get into when fishy business goes over time.
said ‘left’) is G. toourtkoourt and to the east G. pusilla. Rhys Coleman and Taamo Raadik were responsible for distinguishing the species (in 2015) to the west from those to the east. The western fish differ in that: – they are generally smaller – they have fewer vertebrae – their underside has a different pattern (G. pusilla on the right)
Rhys identified 2 main threats to the survival of our Dwarf Galaxiids:
– the destruction of habitats for urban and farming uses – competition from Gambusia
Did you know that there are 4 species of Galaxiella? A map showed that there are 2 in WA, Galaxiella munda and G. nigrostriata.
In Victoria, if you imagine a line running north-south through the middle of Port Phillip Bay, to the west (I nearly ANGFA NEWS 60
February 2019
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In the pictures I’ve seen the G. pusilla males seem to have more yellow on the front half of the body, and the G. toourtkoourt sometimes have more colour in the eye & the red on the body towards the tail seems to leak out of the solid band. But that’s from a very limited sample and there are probably great colour variations between populations of both species.
We spent some time talking about the name of the fish and Rhys explained that it was an aboriginal term that meant ‘small fish living in freshwater’, so we just have to get used to saying it! In the studies done while identifying the species, it seemed that the genetic strength of populations was variable and I think Rhys was suggesting shifting some individuals to improve the genetic strength. (An interesting idea, given that one of the reasons given previously for us not being able to promote the keeping, breeding and distribution of pusilla was that the genetic purity of populations might be damaged!)
One of the interesting topics Rhys is investigating is the question ‘Can Galaxiella pusilla survive if streams dry out?’ A similar question was asked of the Gambusia. A series of experiments was devised in the lab where fish were exposed to muddy conditions for up to 12 days. It seems that Galaxiella can cope reasonably well, particularly if there is leaf litter on the surface. Gambusia on the other hand die within 3 days, so here is a potential strategy to clear some streams of Gambusia (bearing in mind that there may be other fish species present too).
One interesting outcome of this research was that drying out might actually help the Galaxiella populations, apart from the impact on Gambusia. After a waterway has dried out, the initial colonizers are largely small critters like Daphnia and copepods. As time goes on, large species such as dragonfly nymphs become more common and they predate the Galaxiella. So if there’s a regular wet – dry cycle the fish do better. At this stage it’s just after 9pm & Rhys is supposed to go. But he knows he’s got a keen audience and there’s more he’d like to say! This time it was about changes to the Dandenong Creek, to make it a more fish friendly environment. In discussions with the local communities this was identified as a priority rather than straight flood mitigation works.
ANGFA NEWS 60
Galaxiella pusilla, male. Photo: Gunther Schmida
Some 20 sites along the creek have been identified for improvement and 19 of them have been worked on. They are mostly lowland in the valley often close to the creek, but the danger here is that when the creek floods, Gambusia may well be introduced. Therefore some of the sites are a bit above stream level and away from the stream so that they are less likely to be affected by flooding.
The question was asked about the suitability (for Galaxiella) of the swamps that are developed to filter run-off to streams. Rhys thinks that the purpose of these swamps is to absorb pollutants and are therefore unlikely to be suitable habitats. By this time it was clear that Rhys really had to go, but there was so much more to talk about. For instance: – Galaxiella are the best fish to have in the frog-friendly gar den. Can we do anything further here? – I don’t even know what sort of eggs they lay: adhesive or not. What about life expectancy? Do they predate their fry or is it aquatic insects? – Rhys thinks that they generally don’t breed in their second season, but do they? – What about colour variation? I’ve had a Neil Armstrong photo of G. pusilla as my screen saver for as long as I’ve had a computer and it’s a ripper! Thanks Rhys,
A great way to finish the ANGFA Vic year. Cuz
February 2019
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Field Trip Files: Bob Brown Foundation’s Wildblitz and Bioblitz 19th - 25th November 2018
Upper Arthur River on the day we arrived. The slight greenish/blue tinge to the water is residual pollution from an old tin mine upstream in Warratah. The Arthur River still flows orange with residual sluce pollution further upstream, even though the tin mine has been closed since 1947, but is generally considered ‘clean’ at this location due to dilution from all the feeder streams upstream of where we were. Photo: John Lenagan
For four years now, members of ANGFA Victoria have been going to Tasmania each November to volunteer in the Bob Brown Foundation’s BioBlitz; an intensive four-day weekend of science within the Tarkine/Tarkayna area of Tasmania’s rugged north west. In 2018 the ANGFA contingent consisted of Greg Martin, John Lenagan and Phil Littlejohn.
Each year, volunteer scientists, experts in their field, naturalists, members of the public and a huge team of support staff attend the event, the main goals being to survey the biological diversity of the Tarkine and to share knowledge about the biodiversity and ecology of the region. Field surveys are conducted each year at sites covering a variety of Tarkine ecosystems from Messmate Eucalypt dominated old growth forest, coastal Tea tree scrub, to Button Grass plains and extensive and almost impenetrable coastal heath.
Areas of specialisation covered in the surveys include general botany, orchids, bryophytes, slime moulds, macroinvertebrates, fishes, terrestrial invertebrates, insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, spiders and mammals.
Over the weekend we operate from a base camp, housed at Riverbend Youth Centre in Scotchtown south of Smithton. This facility includes very comfortable accommodation, a huge kitchen that produces nourishing food, spacious paddocks for camping and clean bathrooms. Each year a tempoANGFA NEWS 60
The Arthur River after 60mm of overnight rain. Photo: John Lenagan
February 2019
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Our base camp accommodation for Wildblitz - a hut maintained by locals - very welcome protection the night it rained over 60mm. Photo: Greg Martin
rary ‘lab’ is set up in one of the rooms. With lots of benches and about a dozen microscopes, sorting out samples collected during the day, identifying species and logging data is a comfortable and communal process – albiet an exhausting one! A ‘data centre’ where people can upload their data to the internet, is used not only by the scientists but by video makers and the media crew that keep updated posts flowing to the outside world. In the last two years the Bob Brown Foundation has added another event, Wildblitz, which is conducted over the four days prior to Bioblitz. The aim of this event has been to send two small teams into two areas not usually accessible or very difficult to access by the public (for example, to land controlled by a mining company) thus increasing the reach and resolution of the annual Tarkine surveying.
Road. From there we did day trips surveying different creeks in the area.
Our sister team was located on the west coast exploring some very remote hills in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation area where they discovered, amongst many things, an alpine species of Eucalypt dwarfed (by a unique set of conditions including the prevailing westerly winds, soil conditions and elevation) to an adult size of about 70cm tall.
Upper Arthur River Last year’s Wildblitz, which John Lenagan and I attended was conducted over four days from 19th to 22nd November. Our team was working in a remote area in the upper Arthur River catchment due-north of Warratah, our base camp being a ‘fishing hut’ on the banks of the Arthur River on Pykes
Tasmanian’s certainly know how to pitch a tent that will remain dry even during torrential rain. Jess’ tent setup. Photo: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
Jess Westbury cooking up a storm. Josh and Jess provided fabulous food over the four days of ‘Wildblitz’. Photo: Greg Martin
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Greg Martin and John Lenagan set fyke nets in the upper Arthur River. Photo: Damian Baker. Inset: we found at least eight dead Lamprey in an eddie in the river. Photo: John Lenagan
On the evening of our day of arrival John and I set seven fykes in the Arthur River by our campsite, secured to pieces of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;drift woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weighed down by heavy river rocks. Wanting to maximise our chances of catching anything we could in our nets, we initially tried setting one of them with the opening facing upstream, but within a very short time enough small Myrtle Beech Nothofagus cunninghamii leaves had gathered in it for the net to begin dislodging from its anchor point.
Thereafter all fyke nets were set with the opening facing downstream. Later that night we checked the nets by torch light and could see that there were already fish in them but were not able to determine the species from that distance. The following morning we pulled the nets in and found that almost every net had at least one Blackfish in it. There were all different sizes represented including a very large adult
River Blackfish Gadopsis marmorata, one of 8 caught in our fyke nets in the main river. Photo: John Lenagan ANGFA NEWS 60
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Goldfind Creek where it flows into Arthur River. Photo: Greg Martin
which measured 45cm – the biggest that I’ve ever seen! Interestingly, we caught only Blackfish in the fyke nets in the main river.
For the rest of day two we set fyke nets and box traps in two creeks: Goldfind Creek near our base camp and Parrawe Creek about 45 minutes back up Blackwell Road.
That night we had in excess of 60mm of rain which brought the river level up and engorged the creeks.When we checked the nets we’d set, almost every one contained Brown Trout Salmo trutta. No Blackfish. No Galaxias, only Trout. The same result on the third day – only Trout in the tributaries. After four days working on the upper Arthur River it was time to pack up the nets and head north to meet up with the Bioblitz crew in Scotchtown.
Fyke net set in Goldfind Creek. Photo: Greg Martin
ANGFA NEWS 60
Juvenile Brown Trout Salmo trutta from Goldfind Creek. Photo: Greg Martin
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John Lenagan photographs one of the many trout we caught in our fyke nets. Photo: Greg Martin
Comprehensive wet weather gear was essential when working in the Beech Myrtle rainforest in the rain. Photo: John Lenagan
These two large under-road pipes should provide a significant barrier, we thought, to upstream migration of trout as they were at least 1.5m off the water on the downstream side. We were wrong. Photo: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
Even small Trout have a big mouth. No wonder we found no Galaxias in the feeder streams. Photo: Greg Martin
One of several fyke nets set in Parrawe Creek, a small tributary of the Arthur River, on the road into our base camp site. Photo: Greg Martin
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From top left: Josh and John identifying a species of fungi growing on the Beech Myrtle forest floor. Top right: one of the many mosses we found. The Beech Myrtle forest harbours an enormous number of moss and bryophyte species. Middle left: Extensive Spagmum Moss beds are common in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;small creeks and soaksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by the roadside. Middle right: just one of a myriad of fungi that we saw in the Beech Myrtle forest. Above: New growth of Beech Myrtle is a pretty copper colour and gave the forest an almost autumnal appearance. Bottom right: One of the many unnamed small waterfalls that spring up when it rains. Photos: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
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John Lenagan and Paddy Doherty, a Bryologist from UTAS, look out at the Pieman River at Corinna. Behind them you can see the ferry that takes cars across the river on their way south to Zeehan. This picturesque river, now dammed, was once used to transport Huon Pine logs harvested locally. Corinna is the gateway to Tasmaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly remote and wild south west. Photo: Greg Martin
The trip up from Corinna is stunning as the road passes through some extraordinary countryside. Beginning in wet Beech Myrtle forest, then climbing up through tall Eucalypt old growth forest into Coastal Heath, passing across many creeks, the Donaldson River (a trib of the Pieman) and Lindsay River (a trib of the Frankland River). This Coastal Heath is an area of nutrient-poor soil which is also pooly drained so it was no surprise to see amongst many other species, flowering bladderwarts. Everything that grows there has been shaped by lack of nutrients, wind and fire and most plants are stunted. Myriads of Lichen species encrust the exposed quartz outcrops.
In some of the gullies amongst the heath there are surviving pockets of ancient rainforest indicating that there are areas that never burn. A little further up the road and the heath gives way to Buttongrass plains then Eucalypt forest again. This is the where you find the Frankland River that drains the Tea Tree plains (it has very dark tannin-stained waters) and eventually flows into the Arthur River Frankland River This wild river is one that we have visited many times over the years as it has an enormous number of fish species. To date we have found Spotted Galaxias Galaxias truttaceus,
Remote coastal heath on Norfolk Road (C249), which runs between Corinna in the south up to Rebecca Road near Temma on the west coast. Photo: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
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Climbing Galaxias G. brevipinnis, Common Galaxias G. maculatus, Short-headed Lamprey Mordacia mordax, ShortFinned Eel Anguilla australis, Australian Grayling Prototroctes maraena and Tupong Pseudaphritis urvillii. On this trip we caught one Brown Trout Salmo trutta, a first for us in this river although I’m sure there are many others. There is also a large population of Giant Freshwater Crayfish Astacopsis gouldi, and this river has its own unique blue colour form; the reason for which no one knows for sure. Todd Walsh (the undisputed world authority on Astacopsis gouldi) has speculated that it could be a unique water chemistry or perhaps something in the food chain. Not all individuals are blue in the Frankland River, however no other river has blue specimens.
Nelson Bay River This beautiful river, like the Frankland River, drains the coastal heath rich in Tea tree, so its waters are very dark with tannins. There are two locations on this river that we have surveyed over the years: the first being at the Rebecca Road crossing and the second location being at the Nelson Bay River Gorge on the Temma Road. On this trip, after plenty of rain, this river was really pumping!
The Donaldson River is stained heavily with tannins picked up from the vast Tea tree heaths it flows through. Beech Myrtles and the occasional Huon Pine line its banks. Photo: Greg Martin
The river at the Temma Road gorge was flowing with such ferocity that it was too dangerous to survey this year, but was a breathtaking spectacle to behold. At the Rebecca Road bridge location, even though the river was flowing strongly, we set four fyke nets and when we pulled them out the next day there was a bonanza of fish to show the group that had tagged along to see what we did.
The first fyke to be pulled up had a number of Short-Finned Eel of various sizes as well as a variety of Galaxias. There were Spotted Galaxias of different ages including the largest one I’ve ever caught at just over 250mm with the deep body that comes with maturity. This fish had striking red in its fins – a characteristic I have noticed in Spotted Galaxias that come out of tannin-stained water.
Blue form of the Giant Freshwater Crayfish Astacopsis gouldi, caught in the Frankland River by Todd Walsh during the 2016 Bioblitz. A truly remarkable and beautiful animal. Photo: Greg Martin
Rivers can rise quickly, and they can fall just as quickly. Above left: Phil Littlejohn, Stuart Rose and Greg set a fyke in the Frankland River which was higher than we’d seen before. The next morning the river had dropped so much that the fyke net was completely exposed. Above right: Phil and Greg check the exposed net for fish; the only casualty was a dried trout. Photos: John Lenagan ANGFA NEWS 60
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The group that came along to help us with fishes and macroinvertebrate surveying on the saturday. This photo is taken at the Rapid River. Photo: John Lenagan
Above: a juvenile Astacopsis gouldi from Julius River, a hotspot for this wonderful animal. Middle right: Picking through macroinvertebrate samples with tweezers and a pipette. Bottom right: Looking at the samples we found under the microscope. Everyone wanted to have a look through the eye piece. Photos: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
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Above and below: Nelson Bay River, after a few days of rain was draining an enormous volume of water from the Tea Tree coastal heath. In the past few years we have found many Climbing Galaxias Galaxias brevipinnis waiting below this waterfall for an event like this so that they can continue their journey upstream. Photos: Greg Martin
The subsequent fykes had more Eel and more Galaxias including that striking colour form of Galaxias brevipinnis, found in Nelson Bay River, that four years ago we nicknamed the “Tarkine Tiger”. This is my favourite Galaxias, and when you have seen one ‘in the flesh’ with its glistening golden hue, you never forget just how beautiful they are.
ANGFA NEWS 60
After photographing the fish in our field tank, it was time to pack up and head to our next locations on the coast where there are a few creeks along the coast that flow out between the dunes. The larger ones that we look at each year are (from north to south) Rebecca Creek, Templars Creek and Barney Creek. These small creeks are full of fish.
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Nelson Bay River, at Rebecca Road bridge, flowing an enormous amount of water due to recent rains. This is the location of the “Tarkine Tiger” a splendidly marked Galaxias brevipinnis that we have looked forward to seeing every year. This time we were pleased to also find the largest Galaxias truttaceus that I’ve ever seen. Photo: Greg Martin
Rebecca Creek, the largest of these three, has Southern Shortfin Eel, Tupong, Spotted Galaxias, Common Galaxias, Climbing Galaxias and Tasmanian Mudfish. Templars Creek, muddy and slow flowing, has Tasmanian Mudfish and Engaeus Burrowing Crayfish. Barney Creek, another very slow flowing but very deep creek, has Spotted Galaxias, Tasmanian Mudfish and enormous Common Galaxias. This year we were interested in looking at was some of the coastal swamps around Nelson Bay. Phil was keen to see if he could find any Sincarids and we were on the lookout (or should I say on the listen out) for the Tasmanian Treefrog
Litoria burrowsae. This stunning tree frog has a call that sounds like ducks quacking. We did find some tadpoles that looked quite different from the Brown Tree Frog and Tasmanian Froglet tadpoles we were familiar with but, unless you grow them on and let them morph, we couldn’t be sure what they were. Although Phil found no Sincarids, he did find several Burrowing Crayfish and later, after many long hours looking at them under the microscope, he decided that they were Geocharax gracilis a genus we hadn’t seen in our other locations.
At about 25cm, this is a mature Spotted Galaxias and must be quite old. Photo: John Lenagan ANGFA NEWS 60
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Nelson Bay River. Above: Phil Littlejohn photographs ‘in situ’ a Dolops parasite that he spotted on a Galaxias brevipinnis. Photo: Greg Martin. Below: You can clearly see the Dolops on this fish just behind the left pectoral fin. Photo: John Lenagan. Inset: Dolops parasite, magnified. Photo: Greg Martin. Right: Looking at the Galaxias in our field tank. Photo: John Lenagan
Galaxias brevipinnis aka “the Tarkine Tiger” on account of its stunning markings. On this trip we caught the biggest examples of this colour form to date – perhaps the high rainfall had something to do with it? This specimen had a golden hue all over its body as they all do from this river. A truly breathtakingly beautiful fish! Photo: John Lenagan. ANGFA NEWS 60
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Rebecca Creek. Above: Greg shows the group a couple of Tupong Pseudaphritis urvillii, caught in our fyke nets in Rebecca Creek on Temma Road that runs up the coast. Right and below: these two individuals were the largest that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen. This trip seemed to produce large individuals of many species. Photos: John Lenagan
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Rebecca Creek. Top left: in order to get a good photo from our field tank some people chose to lie down to get the shot. Photo: John Lenagan. Middle left and below: it was great to see some people bring their children and encourage them to get involved. This young fellow slowly and persistently found more Tasmanian Mudfish than anyone else, just through sheer determination. Photos on left: Greg Martin. Above: Stuart Rose and Greg retrieve a fyke net from Rebecca Creek. Photo: John Lenagan.
Putting fish, you have just caught in nets or traps, in a field tank for everyone to see is the single most effective way of giving onlookers an appreciation of what is in the water. Photo: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
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Templars Creek. Top right: Greg dip nets in Templars Creek, a site rich in Tasmanian Mudfish behind the dunes on Temma Road. Middle and bottom right: Tasmanian Mudfish Neochanna cleveri. Photos: John Lenagan. Above: Phil Littlejohn shows interested onlookers the features that identify this freshwater crayfish as a Burrowing Crayfish.
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This Astacopsis gouldi which we came across one morning crossing the road, was removed, unharmed, and relocated to safety. Photo: John Lenagan
Away from the coast and on the road back to base camp, there is a little tributary of the Frankland River called Blackwater Rivulette which we had never had a look at. This time we set a fyke net and caught a large Galaxias brevipinnis, which had the more ‘normal’ markings we see in G. brevipinnis on the mainland.
Finally, on the last day heading back to Launceston to return our hire car and catch the plane back to Melbourne, there was one more place we had to check out: Todd Walsh had told us that there was a small creek called McBrides Creek that runs through Ferndene State Reserve near Penguin, that has Astacopsis gouldi and Astacopsis tricornis living sympatrically. The opportunity to see yet another species of freshwater crayfish was just too much so we allowed time to visit this place. As you would expect it didn’t take long for Phil to find a juvenile of each species and they were right next to the picnic area! After photographing them carefully to show the difference between the two species, Phil decided to work his way upstream to see if he could find a larger specimen. Alas, after
Above and middle left: Greg holds a more traditionally patterned Galaxias brevipinnis, caught in Blackwater Rivulet (pictured top left) , a small tributary of the Frankland River. Photos: John Lenagan ANGFA NEWS 60
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Coastal Tea Tree scrub that has not yet recovered from the fires of Summer 2016. However the bogs underneath, even though they are almost impossible to get into, harbour lots of frogs and macroinvertebrates. Here Phil Littlejohn looks for Sincarids and Burrowing Crayfish among the Azolla and fallen Tea Tree branches and trunks. Photo: Greg Martin
nearly an hour trying, and finding some splendid red-finned Galaxias truttaceus along the way, no luck! Still, happy with having seen both species, we had lunch then headed home.
Whilst this event is a unique opportunity to see this stunning part of the world, it is an absolutely exhausting week. Every day we were are out in the field checking nets, taking photos, recording what we found, changing location, setting nets for the next day and then on arrival back at base camp, a splendid dinner then identifying macroinvertebrates, making records of what was from where and so on. Finally sleep. Then the whole thing repeats again the next day. At the end of the week I was mentally and physically done.
Over the last four years a number of people have joined me for Bioblitz including Phil Littlejohn (twice), John Lenagan (twice), Greg Wallis, Finn Wrigley, Emmaline Bowman and her partner Stein. For me it has become an annual event that I look forward to every year; not just for the wild countryside and the delicious food, but to reconnect with the people.
Bioblitz is a great annual trip and I encourage you to join us if you can. Once again I want to thank the Bob Brown Foundation for inviting us back each year and for providing such great support infrastructure to enable us to get out there and do what we love doing - looking in water for fishes! Greg Martin
Coastal swamp with rich growth of Triglochin and home to lots of tadpoles. Inset: Tasmanian froglet Crinia tasmaniensis. this little frog is incredibly variable in colour and pattern. Photos: Greg Martin ANGFA NEWS 60
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Top right: In a creek on the northern west coast Astacopsis gouldi (top) lives sympatrically with A. tricornis, ( above). The main identifying feature is A. gouldi has a central ridge on the Rostrum, whereas A. tricornis has a groove instead of a ridge. Below: The small pristine creek that we had been told to look for A. tricornis. Middle left: An Engaeus burrowing crayfish Phil found under a log in the rainforest by the creek. Top left: Phil littlejohn holding an A. tricornis, a first for him. Photos: Greg Martin, except the Engaeus crayfish by John Lenagan
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ANGFA New South Wales Inc. Report
President’s Report During the last year it has become increasingly difficult at our general meetings to speak one-on one with most members due to time constraints. I looked forward to the Christmas lunch meeting and anticipated I could engage more fully with members and have a few laughs. Unfortunately, due to a family situation it was not to be, and I apologise for my absence. This year I will make every effort to catch-up with everyone and exchange our interests in our hobby. By missing the Christmas lunch, I also missed some very important congratulations; to Derek Girkin, Lorraine Girkin, John Buckley and Ian Baddock, for being recently awarded Life Membership of ANGFA NSW Inc. Congratulations and thank you for your efforts in building our ANGFA NSW into the Club we enjoy today. I know a short introduction will not do great justice to explaining what efforts these members have made toward ANGFA NSW over the many years, but I hope it reminds us all of what great people can do to support a Club such as ours. ANGFA NSW now have four Life Members who remain an integral part of ANGFA history and still play a role in determining our future.
Derek Girkin was awarded Life Membership for long and distinguished services as ANGFA NSW President. From memory I think Derek was President for about 15 years and he was auctioneer for much of this time as well. Always greeting people with a smile, and often a joke, Derek has a witty sense of humour and was always the spark in the room at our meetings. Derek rarely missed a field trip and was always breeding many rare fish to bring to meetings. He has been an author of many articles and contributions to Rivus over many years and searched tirelessly for further input before sending to members. Derek was the only Life Member of ANGFA NSW, and he now holds the title of Life Member of ANGFA NSW Inc.
Lorraine Girkin was awarded Life Membership for long and extraordinary service to the Club. For well over 10 years Lorraine was our Treasurer and Secretary; and organised at least 3 Conventions for ANGFA in NSW that I know of. Lorraine was the editor of Rivus and helped to source the many articles. The great sense of humour Lorraine brought to meetings made us all feel welcome and included. John Buckley was awarded Life Membership for long and outstanding service to the Club as Field Trip Co-ordinator. John has a big heart for our hobby and his efforts went much further than co-ordinating field trips. John bred many species for our meetings in his “Iconic” fish room, and his fish room was often visited by members who became virtually awestruck. Extending well over 10 years as our Field Trip Co-ordinator, John often combined a cook-up with our adventures outdoors. John built some great Tank displays at events and Conventions. Office Bearers 2018
President: David Matheson, (02) 9605 4318 dm.matheson66@gmail.com
Vice President: Richard Blake, 0488 120 890 spqrblake@hotmail.com
Public Officer/Secretary: Graham Lathleiff, 0418 244 178 laffy1971@hotmail.co.uk Editor/Treasurer: Ross Salvato, 0411 898 110 ross.salvato@optusnet.com.au
Auction Co-ordinator: Lyn King, (02) 9618 2584 lynking@slowones.com
Field trip Co-ordinators: Richard Blake, 0488120890 spqrblake@hotmail.com, Ian Baddock, 0412 298 737 angfa@optusnet.com.au, Committee members: John Buckley, 0407 662 932 jbuckley99@me.com
Club meeting details
ANGFA NSW meetings are held every second Saturday of every other month starting from February and finishing in December. The meeting starts at 2pm and generally finishes by 4:30pm. There is a special meeting in March dedicated to a huge auction, we aim to get going by 1pm so be early.
Meeting venue: Club Rivers 32-34 Littleton St, Riverwood NSW 2210. Across the road from Riverwood Railway Station. Try lunch at the Club before the meeting or dinner afterward.
ANGFA NSW remaining meeting dates for 2018 and upciming events:
Mid-December 2018 Mid-January 2019 9th February 2019 Mid-March 2019 13th April 2019 8th June 2019
NSW fieldtrip TBA NSW fieldtrip TBA Regular meeting / auction ANGFA NSW Super Auction Regular meeting / auction Regular meeting / auction
https://www.facebook.com/ANGFANSW ANGFA NEWS 60
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Ian Baddock was awarded Life Membership for being a Founding Member and an active Committee Member for many years. Ian’s commitment to ANGFA NSW goes back to the 80’s and recently Ian was our President. In this time Ian was also President of ANGFA National. Ian has organised some great field trips to far North Queensland and enthusiastically led us in search of elusive fish in some far-out places. Ian is fond of sharing some of his great experiences with us and has often held presentations at our meetings discussing those elusive species and where to find them. Over many years Ian has been a prominent part of the promotion and improved awareness of ANGFA NSW.
I am happy to suggest that our four Life Members are very down to earth people, who have tirelessly given their time and efforts to make ANGFA NSW a better Club for us all. Congratulations Derek, Lorraine, John and Ian; well deserved. The dates for our General Meetings during 2019 have been locked in with Club Rivers. On occasion there is a date which is previously booked, our February meeting is one such case. Our General Meeting has been pulled forward a week to the first Saturday in February; to February 2nd at 2pm.
I have heard murmurs that some rare species have been bred in good quantity over this Summer. I hope that some of these fish make an appearance at our meeting, wouldn’t that put a “Spring” in our step. Please remember our major auction event for 23rd March. Another reminder of a calendar event which falls this year is the ANGFA convention, this year in Victoria. Usually held in October, we will advise members of details when received.
Please update membership if you haven’t already done so. Your membership funds allow for continued running of ANGFA NSW and discounted trade table for our members. ANGFA NSW places special mention to Club Rivers for their support throughout 2018 and their continuing support during 2019. I hope to see you all at our next meeting; bring a smile and stay a while. David Matheson.
ANGFA NSW Life Members (left to right): John Buckley, Derek Girkin, Lorraine Girkin and Ian Baddock. Congratulations to all! ANGFA NEWS 60
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ANGFA NSW Super Auction When: Saturday March 24th 2019
Where: Club Rivers 32-34 Littleton St, Riverwood NSW 2210 What Time: 1:00pm to 5:30pm
We are having a super auction of fish, plants, food and anything that’s fishy. Come along and bring your friends for a chance to get some rare fish and plants etc. Bidding will be fast and furious, there will be plenty of bargains and there could even be a few surprises.
Got something to sell, (fish related, of course), bring it to the auctioneers an hour before commencement of the auction for listing. Sellers get 80% of the sale price. Don’t forget to bring your money with you (sorry, cash only). We would encourage you to pre-register so we can allocate each member with 10 numbers and an auction form. You can get more lots if there are still lots remaining after a cut-off date. Members attending the next meeting can register their names for lot numbers and all others can email. Please note: If you are bringing fish, please use the Littleton Street entrance. Club Rivers Legion club is centrally located in the heart of Riverwood’s Central Business District adjacent to the Riverwood train station. Entry is available via the main entrance on Thurlow Street or rear entrance on Littleton Street; with wheelchair access available at both Club entrances. Parking is available in Littleton Street. All items to be auctioned must be booked in between 10:30 and 12:00pm
Who can sell fish? Financial members of ANGFA have first opportunity to be allocated auction lots. Non-members can enter fish in the Auction for a fee of $2 as can those just looking you are most welcome to grab a bargain. Bidder’s cards for visitors will incur a $2 fee. All bags must be adequately marked with the allocated lot number, name and number of fish, plus the reserve price if any. Fish lots that are not labelled with the correct name of the fish or without a name will be immediately passed in. Each member is allowed 10 lots of Aus/NG fish which may include 3 lots of non-native species A total maximum of Three (3) lots of dry goods per person. No electrical items will be accepted for the auction. All bids will be in whole dollar units. Bids will be in minimum amounts of $1 increments from $1 to $20. $2 increments from $20 to $50. $5 increments beyond $50 and $10 bids after $100. Once an item has successfully been bid on, the winning bidder shall pay and collect their item from the collection table.
During the Auction The auctioneers will be only too happy to describe the lots for you as they come up, a photo wherever possible will be displayed during the auction and the runners can show you the fish throughout the process as well. ANGFA takes 20% of the auction amount and sellers can collect their money at the end of auction at the collection table. The committee looks forward to seeing you all on the day. If anybody is interested in assisting the committee on the day, please make yourself known to us. Without the help of our volunteers these auctions would not be as successful or enjoyable as they are for both members and visitors and of course your committee.
ANGFA NEWS 60
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Field Trip Report for January - Woronora River A recent call from ANGFA NSW member Dan Dority enquiring about a possible field trip locally in January grabbed my interest straight away. Looking at dates revealed only two weekends left in January, one being the long weekend which meant our date for a survey needed to be the 19th or 20th. The choice was for the 19th and a quick SMS went out to members for expressions of interest. That same day and the following were both heatwave conditions and I ventured out checking local hotspots which were surveyed a few years back; thinking a follow-up survey would make a great comparison. This was not to be. One site was fully fenced off due to construction activities, another area had a locked gate and no public access. I ventured to another site and found it to be an illegal garbage dumping ground. The last site I checked had a dog exercise enclosure erected almost up to the riverbank and there were dogs swimming in the river performing the shark bait shuffle. Now I was perplexed, where could we survey locally during the school holidays which would be both secluded from other water users and achieve some fishy outcomes. Jim Rorris to the rescue; from the moment I spoke with Jim he planned the destination and organised meeting times and place, returning the info to me to direct back to the responders of the SMS.
The impromptu survey was set and took only a few days from inception to completion. Our meeting point was Heathcote McDonalds at 9am, and after a bite to eat we were leaving for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Needlesâ&#x20AC;? by 9.30. The Needles are on the Woronora River and it is a very pleasant walk from the car to the river, somewhere around 1km. We walked across the weir and surveyed the SW side. The shallows close to the bank were covered in Waterlily and Sagittaria sp., and thick black smelly mud. Beyond the weeds the water was very deep. Beneath a rope swing hanging from a huge gum tree we found a good break in the weeds and a nice sandy bottom, dropping off sharply to deep water a few metres out. Helen and Dan set some traps further along the bank, while Jim used goggles in the clear area to check for fish. Shortly afterward the seine net was deployed and our first scrape across the sandy bottom yielded quite a few Smelt and an Empire Gudgeon. Ross took a few happy snaps of the fish while Jim, Mark, and Dan continued to seine. A family came down for a swim and we explained what we were doing and showed the children the fish as we pulled in the seine for the last time. In this area, with seine net and bait traps we collected a few Empires and a lot of Smelt, together with a Striped Gudgeon.
We moved downstream past the weir to the salt water junction. This area was all rocky outcrops and the river running between pools before meeting the tidal section. Many Bass could be seen taunting us in the water and all attempts to catch them proved futile. An Eel was spotted, and a small bream was caught as bycatch amongst many Smelt and juvenile Gudgeons. The day was overcast but still quite warm, this rocky area giving us a reprieve each time we entered the water. The rocks were very slippery and there were a few ANGFA NEWS 60
falls even though we were extremely careful. Beaten by the Bass, we decided to move on. Our walk back to the car was not as pleasant as our initial walk down to the river. This was steep, steep, steep. My legs were burning, and I was panting like a Banshee. I needed a couple of rest stops on the way up the hill. The last 100m hurdle to the car now had my rump burning as well, a new experience in muscle pain.
The upper Hacking River at Otford was our next survey site, this time we could drive right to the spot, albeit with smoke coming from the brakes of the car when we stopped; another steep descent. We looked downstream from the small bridge and the river was quite small, more like creek, flowing across rock and sand. Not a fish in sight, only water striders, and no results from dip netting. On the upstream side of the bridge was a longer, deeper, wider stretch which narrowed sharply before flowing under the bridge. We dip netted here among macro-algae (which grew abundantly on the sandy substrate) and found many tadpoles, shrimps, snails, dragonfly larvae, and a few small yabbies. The odd frog and water dragon plopped into the water as we passed near enough to disturb them. The macro-alae also held a lot of black smelly sediment along with the odd angry leech; Jim found these; no, the leeches found Jim. The pH surprised us at 6.8 and the water temp a nice 22.6 while the air temp now dropped to a comfortable 26.5. The afternoon shadows had lengthened, and our day had now come to an end; we packed up ready for our journey home. This was a great day out and our surveys successfully obtained a couple of specimens for members. David Matheson A very pleasant looking Woronora river
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ANGFA Inc. ACT Regional Group Report Watch this space. Upcoming meetings will be organised and posted on Facebook.
Melanotaenia picta. Photo: Mark Shaw
Melanotaenia trifasciata, from the Blyth River, NT. Photo: Mark Shaw
ANGFA Inc. Western Australia Regional Group Report
ANGFA Inc. WA meetings are now the third Wednesday in each month at the Leederville Sporting Club, 78 Cambridge St, West Leederville, commencing at 8:00pm. People attending the meeting are asked to park in the vacant paddock on the northern end of the sealed car park, which is on the eastern end of the Leederville Sporting Club building to avoid a parking ticket. Drinks and snacks can be purchased across the bar. Anyone with an interest in native fishes is invited to join us. If you have any questions, then please contact angfa.wa@angfa.org.au
Meeting dates for 2019 20th March 2019 17th April 2019 15th May 2019 19th June 2019 17th July 2019 21st August 2019
Melanotaenia pygmaea Photo: Mark Shaw
18th September 2019 16th October 2019 20th November 2019 18th December 2019
ANGFA NEWS 60
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ANGFA North America Report
ANGFA NA, the newest addition to the ANGFA family, is the mainly electronic and on-line group of Americans and Canadians who have joined together to foster interest in the keeping, propagation and preservation of fish native to Australia and New Guinea within the North American fish keeping hobby.
Owing to the geographic spread of North America, regular meetings aren’t feasible, but members are active in spreading interest and knowledge. Ken Boorman (ANGFA NA President) traveled from Ontario, Canada across the continent to give a pair of presentations to an aquarium society in Oregon, USA. From his home in Missouri, Gary Lange (ANGFA NA Vice President) has given presentations this year in Ontario, Canada, the west coast of the USA, and appeared on a popular aquarium web-cast. ANGFA NA had a table at an Ontario aquarium society auction in June where several ANGFA NA members shared their passion with others. In the months and years ahead, the ANGFA NA Executive and membership will continue to spread knowledge and livestock to ensure the unique fish of Australia and New Guinea are known and appreciated within the greater North American aquarium hobby. President – Ken Boorman lisas_lair_bookstore@kent.net Vice President – Gary Lange gwlange@sbcglobal.net
ANGFA NA report February 2019 Ken Boorman is just back from speaking at Madison Area Aquatic Hobbyists and Milwaukee Aquarium Society in Wisconsin. He will be speaking at the North East Council Convention in Cromwell, Connecticut April 12-15 th. His 2 talks at both are titled Australian Rainbows and Blue-Eyes and Beyond Rainbows: Other Great Australian Fishes. Gary Lange has the following scheduled talks: Wednesday March 6th Speaking at Greater City Aquarium Society in New York City, https://www.greatercity.net/home.html
Thursday March 7th Speaking at Bucks County Aquarium Society in Pennsylvania, https://www.bcasonline.com/index.php
April 12-14th Speaking at Edmonton Aquarium Society in Alberta, Canada at their annual workshop, banquet and auction. For info contact John Tummers jtummers@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/AquariumClubOfEdmonton/ September 13th Speaking at Rocky Mountain Cichlid Association in Denver, Colorado, http://www.rmcichlid.org/ October 5th Speaking at Erie Aquarium Society in Pennsylvania, https://www.facebook.com/Erie-Aquarium-Society187770517926215/
If any of our North American members (or friends) are in the vicinity of any of these meetings, please go and support these two great speakers. Say hi to them afterwards – I am sure they will both be more than happy to answer any of your questions or just shoot the breeze.
If any other ANGFA North American members (that includes you too Alex J) are presenting or have given talks on the fishes of Sahul, please contact Ken Boorman at his email address and he will include the details in future reports.
Gary Lange
ANGFA NEWS 60
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Melanotaenia affinis Kali Web. Two pics same fish in different mood. Fish collected in 2015 along the eastern border of Papua about 100 miles south of the ocean though. Photos: Gary Lange
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Fishy News
This section of the newsletter contains media releases and news articles sourced from the web. Weblinks to the original articles are provided where available. If you have a news release or you find an article that you think will be of interest to ANGFA members please pass it along to newsletter@angfa.org.au
Hardy little SA fish in population initiative
Originally published on the Enironment SA website 15 November 2018 www.environment.sa.gov.au
Murray hardyhead being captured for relocation to NSW. Photo by Sam Hardy
A small number of the critically endangered Murray hardyhead were collected in the Riverland and sent in temperature controlled and oxygenated containers to their new home in a quiet backwater in NSW.
“From these populations we can, from time to time, translocate a school of these threatened species to another suitable habitat location, where hopefully they’ll establish themselves and expand their numbers.
Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin (SAMDB) wetland project officer Sam Hardy said the Murray hardyhead was one of a group of small native wetland fish that have been struggling for some time in the Murray-Darling Basin.
“Natural Resources SAMDB has been working with our partners from the NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries and Aquasave - Nature Glenelg Trust. This week we’ve captured and transported more than 600 Murray hardyhead to a new site near Lake Victoria in New South Wales.”
“Changes to the natural flow of the river, climate change and the impact of the European carp have reduced their habitat and distribution along the Murray, and the millennium drought, in particular, took a heavy toll,” he said. “The Murray hardyhead has disappeared from much of its former range, but we’ve been successful in maintaining a few key populations in managed wetlands in the Riverland.
As the River Murray continues to recover through a wide range of initiatives under the Basin Plan, further opportunities to reestablish healthy populations of endangered species like the Murray hardyhead, the iconic Murray cod and even the Murray crayfish, may become possible.
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 40
The Murray Hardyhead returns to Western NSW by Siwan Lovett Originally published on the Finterest website www.finterest.com.au 1 February 2019
Iain Ellis and Nick Whiterod release fish into the refuge pond. Photo: NSW DPI.
The Murray Hardyhead is a small fish that has been considered extinct in NSW for more than a decade. It currently survives in a few places in Victoria and South Australia. Recently, a small population of these fish from South Australia’s Riverland has been relocated to the Little Frenchman’s Creek wetland on Wingillie Station in far western NSW. This is the first time an attempt has been made to re-establish Murray Hardyhead and follows years of hard work by local landholders, community groups and agencies to create suitable conditions. The relocation site contains ideal habitat for Murray Hardyhead because it is already saline, which they prefer, contains plenty of submerged structure in which they hide and breed, and natural food sources. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Ms Jody Swirepik said the provision of environmental water has been a key part of the project’s success. “This is a great example of how water for the environment is targeted and used carefully to improve the health of our rivers,” Ms Swirepik said. The Australia Government’s Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Sally Box congratulated the project managers for their hard work to find and prepare the new site and undertake the relocation. “The reintroduction of Murray Hardyhead to New South Wales is a wonderful example of threatened species collaboration across states, agencies and community organisations such as the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group,” Dr Box said. About Wingillie Station Wingillie Station is owned by the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges Trust, which has been working with the Murray Darling
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Jody Swirepik, chair of the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group Ian Davidson and NSW DPI senior fisheries manager Iain Ellis at the Wingillie Station fish release. Picture: Carmel Zaccone,
Wetlands Working Group and Commonwealth Environment Water Office for several years to improve the condition of the floodplain and wetland habitats across the station. The generous support and assistance from the Trust has been critical in the success of the project. SA Department for Environment and Water Wetlands Project Officer Sam Hardy said he hoped the translocation would create a thriving new population which could be used to later re-introduce the fish to additional sites throughout the southern Murray Darling Basin. “We are thrilled to be involved in this collaborative project and gladly agreed to assist with the supply of fish from our secure populations in the Riverland. This translocation will give Australia more insurance against the Murray Hardyhead becoming extinct,” he said.
Researcher wading out to monitor a lagoon in Wingillie Station. Photo MDFRC ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 41
Raphael the teenage mutant ninja turtle found living in Western Sydney
Text and photo: Matthew Stanton
Apologies that this is not really a fish story. Part of my job involves rescuing wildlife from “doomed” habitat including removing aquatic fauna from farm dams when a developer wants to turn the space occupied by the dam into something else. So my job is not always one that leaves me with a ‘good feeling’ at the end of the day. We occasionally turn up interesting things that you wouldn’t normally expect in a farm dam but most of the time we are just relocating masses of eels, muddy turtles and devising new ways to prevent the spread of Gambusia from the dam discharge water into the local waterways. One dam we worked at recently had no eels but there were a number of Eastern Long-necked Turtles (Chelodina longicollis) present. These turtles had an unusual feature in that all of them had the pale portions of their carapace and plastron stained with a red pigment. Some smaller individuals were just a pinkish orange colour. However, the medium sized turtles were a vivid red. Coincidentally the colour was almost the same as the laboratory grade rubber gloves I was wearing to keep the turtle smell off my hands. The dam in question was apparently used as a sediment pond for a brickworks. There was a suggestion that the pond may have been loaded with the same minerals that make 1960/70’s red bricks red. But I don’t think I have ever seen a red brick that colour before! The pigment did not seem to be strongly influencing the skin colour and it appeared to be quite shallow on the shell as there were patches where the colour had been scratched off revealing the normal pale colour below.
Not only inland waters are drying up. How do we sample this?
Text and photo: Matthew Stanton
Monitoring aquatic life can get pretty tough during a drought. This photograph shows a control (as opposed to an impact) site in an area where I have been conducting aquatic monitoring in the Sydney Basin. The site pictured, had at various times supported quite a diversity of fish and invertebrates. The water was previously up to 1.5 m deep. Fish that had formerly called this location home included Australian Smelt (Retropinna semoni), Common Jollytail (Galaxias maculatus), Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii), Cox’s Gudgeon (Gobiomorphus coxii) and both the local eel species along with the obligatory Gambusia (Gambusia holbooki). Obviously, this particular sample produced none of those species. If I had seen this on a study where we did not have control sites, I may have been tempted to blame the impact activity for the dry riverbed. Some water did come back. However, the species previously present at the site have yet to return. We have now added a new species for the site: European Carp.
‘Drought, climate change and mismanagement’: What experts think caused the death of a million Menindee fish ABC Science
By environment reporter Nick Kilvert Posted 16 January 2019 at 3:09 pm on the abc website www.abc.net.au
The sight of more than a million fish floating belly up on the Darling River at Menindee has thrown doubt over the management of the Murray-Darling Basin. Experts say irrigators are taking too much water from the system, and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority has mismanaged water flows. But New South Wales Water Minister Niall Blair says drought is to blame. With more fish likely to die, here’s what we know about the mass deaths and what some independent experts have had to say.
Where are fish dying? A million fish were found dead at Menindee Lakes last week. It’s a series of seven lakes fed by the Darling River, about 90 kilometres south-east of Broken Hill in western New South Wales. It’s believed to be one of the largest fish kills ever recorded in Australia.
video of dead Murray cod went viral, pointed the finger at cotton growers and politicians. But others blame mismanagement by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), and the NSW Government blames drought. The big question is: why was the river in such a state that a bluegreen algae outbreak of this scale could occur? Here’s what four experts working in the fields of river ecology, policy, management and economics told us.
Then a smaller kill of about 60 fish was reported at Lake Hume yesterday, on the NSW-Victoria border.But the cause of that kill is still unclear.
1. Expert in water economics, environment and policy
What killed the fish?
Adjunct Professor John Williams from the Australian National University said you couldn’t blame the drought.
A variety of factors were at play at Menindee. Water levels were very low, the system had stopped flowing, and temperatures were high after a long spell of hot weather.This created ideal conditions for blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) to grow, and it “bloomed” out of control. But it wasn’t the algae that killed the fish. A cold front hit the region, which dropped the water temperature in the river, killing the algal bloom. The bacteria that feeds on dying algae then exploded out of control, and sucked all the oxygen from the water. When the oxygen levels dropped too low, the fish drowned.
“To manage a river you’ve got to be able to manage it through a drought without killing all the fish,” Professor Williams said. “We didn’t put enough environmental water aside, and then we’ve continually eroded the little we did allocate with the recent amendments both in the north and to the south.” Environmental water is water set aside to be released into the river system when needed. In 2018, the Turnbull government won support from Labor to amend the amount of environmental water allocated to the system, while the Greens and some senators were opposed. The amendments cut 605 billion litres a year that were allocated from the southern basin’s environmental water flows, and 70 billion litres a year from the northern basin’s flows.
So who or what is to blame? The blame game began almost immediately after the Menindee fish kill was reported Farmers Rob McBride and Dick Arnold, whose
Professor Williams said if more environmental water was allocated
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 43
to the system, it could be used in times of drought to help flush the system, reduce nutrient levels, help drop water temperatures and oxygenate the water. “Yes, it is hard to manage rivers like the Darling through drought, but that’s Australia. If you haven’t got a management plan that can manage the water through drought in the Darling, you haven’t got a plan,” he said. “We’re taking a hell of a lot of water out. We had good flows 18 months ago. We want working rivers, we want irrigation, but we need to know how much we can take and regulate it pretty strongly.”
2. Expert in conservation biology, wetland and river management Professor Richard Kingsford from the University of New South Wales said farmers and irrigators were suffering from the drought, but water management was a big issue. “Certainly the drought is a contributing factor. The bigger issue is that this has been coming for a long time in the Darling,” he said. “Over the last 20 or 30 years, we’ve reduced flows coming into the Menindee lakes from upstream and down the Darling by almost 50 per cent. And it means there’s less water in the river than there used to be.” As well as extracting water from the river, licences allow some irrigators to capture overland flows. Overland-flow capture means diverting rainwater into storage before it reaches the river, which in turn leads to less water entering the system. “Some cotton growers in the Darling River tributaries have managed to capture some of the water in the recent rains that have occurred, and that’s part of the licencing system that allows them to do that, to harvest those flows,” he said.
diversion limits’, which is working out the maximum amount that can be taken when the tank is full,” he said. “We’ve put very, very little effort into working out how to manage times of low flow and who’s responsible for that.” In the United Kingdom, there is a policy called “hands-off flow”, where water is released at the top of a system and that water cannot be extracted as it works its way downstream. But in Australia, things are different. “In much of the Darling at the moment we don’t have mechanisms in place to shepherd water through the system,” Professor Young said. “The licences people hold are often a function of the height of the river. If one person leaves water in the river, the next person says, ‘thank you, I’ll take some more’.”
4. Expert in ecology, management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems Professor Robyn Watts from Charles Sturt University said that drought, climate change and mismanagement had all contributed to the state of the river. “There’s a lot of complexity around this fish kill,” she said. “It’s hard to know if that could be avoided because there’s so much complexity around the Menindee Lakes system in terms of who’s been taking water upstream and whether it’s been taken legally.” But she said there were things that could be done in the short term to avoid more fish kills. During previous events, locals have improvised their own aerator systems, pumping oxygen into affected waterholes and moving cooler, deep water to the surface.
3. Expert in water policy reform
“Where these refuges were created … we got the most adults and the most fish larvae,” she said.
Professor Michael Young from the University of Adelaide said the Murray-Darling Basin Authority had failed to plan for lean times.
Yesterday, the New South Wales Government announced it would be installing aerators at a number of sites across the state.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into debating what is called the ‘sustainable
Professor Kingsford says it could be some time before the fish population bounces back. (Facebook: Debbie Newitt)
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 44
Gavin Ireland – Portraits of the Rainbow My interest in Rainbows – I caught my first wild rainbow with the milk bucket, aged seven on the way to the dairy. Those small rainbows were emptied into the dairy trough, so the bucket could be filled with milk. Even twenty years later, successive generations still lived in the trough. Rainbows are beautiful fish that should have an important place in aquariums around the world, but like the portrait painting of birds, should also have a place in pictures on the walls of peoples’ homes. I have started painting the different types and variants of my local Rainbows and Blue eyes. For the painting, I photo graph underwater where a particular Rainbow lives, then paint that Rainbow into that underwater scene.
To purchase prints or originals please contact
Gavin Ireland
2 Meadowood Rise Mapleton, Qld 4560 gavinireland66@gmail.com Print prices
Cotton Rag Paper Stretched Canvas
30 x 45 cm (12 x 18 inches) 40 x 60 cm (16 x 24 inches) 50 x 76 cm (20 x 30 inches) 60 x 91 cm (24 x 36 inches)
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 2019 PAGE PAGE45 45
$110 $75 $130 $90 $150 $120 $190 $140
From Recent Scientific Publications This section of the newsletter contains abstracts from recently published scientific articles.You may be able to find the full text of the article by clicking on the link, pasting the title into google scholar (http://scholar.google.com/), or by writing to the author. If you publish or find an article that you think might be of interest to ANGFA members please pass it along to newsletter@angfa.org.au
Australian Lungfish Photo: Gunther Schmida
Fallon, SJ, McDougall, AJ, Espinoza, T, Roberts, DT, Brooks, S, Kind, PK, Kennard, MJ, Bond, N, Marshall, SM, Schmidt, D, Hughes, J. (2019). Age structure of the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri). PLOS ONE 14(1). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0210168
The Australian lungfish has been studied for more than a century without any knowledge of the longevity of the species. Traditional methods for ageing fish, such as analysis of otolith (ear stone) rings is complicated in that lungfish otoliths differ from teleost fish in composition. As otolith sampling is also lethal, this is not appropriate for a protected species listed under Australian legislation. Lungfish scales were removed from 500 fish from the Brisbane, Burnett and Mary rivers. A sub-sample of scales (85) were aged using bomb radiocarbon techniques and validated using scales marked previously with oxytetracycline. Lungfish ages ranged from 2.5 –77 years of age. Estimated population age structures derived using an Age Length Key revealed different recruitment patterns between river systems. There were statistically significant von Bertalanffy growth model parameters estimated for each of the three rivers based on limited sample sizes. In addition, length frequency distributions between river systems were also significantly different. Further studies will be conducted to review drivers that may explain these inter-river differences.
Roberts, D.T., Udyawer, V., Franklin, C., Dwyer, R.G. and Campbell, H.A., 2017. Using an acoustic telemetry array to assess fish volumetric space use: a case study on impoundments, hypoxia and an air-breathing species (Neoceratodus forsteri). Marine and Freshwater Research, 68(8), pp.1532-1543. http://www.publish.csiro.au/MF/MF16124
Facultative air-breathing fish can persist in hypoxic waters due to their capacity to acquire atmospheric oxygen. Most studies examining responses of air-breathing fish to aquatic hypoxia have occurred under experimental conditions. How air-breathing fish respond to hypoxic conditions in the field has received less attention. Using depth sensor transmitters and an array of acoustic receivers to monitor the facultative air-breathing Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri), we investigated habitat preferences and behavioural responses to seasonal hypoxic zones in a riverine impoundment. Three-dimensional (3-D) kernel utilisation distribution (KUD) models revealed that during stratified conditions, lungfish remained above the oxycline, rarely venturing into hypoxic waters, whereas during holomixis lungfish used a wider range of depths. Total volumetric space utilisation did not change significantly during stratified periods, but the distribution of space used changed, constrained by the oxycline. Despite N. forsteri having lungs to supplement oxygen requirements, the presence of a hypoxic zone constrained the core (50% 3-D-KUD) volumetric space used by lungfish to <1.6% of the total available space of the study area. With increasing demand for
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 46
new impoundments in many tropical and subtropical regions, the present study provides insights to how air-breathing fish species may respond to altered riverine conditions from impoundments.
baffle designs may impede small-bodied fish passage. This data scales with increasing water velocity, encompassing inter-specific differences in swimming capacity. These results have broad implications for the movement of small-bodied fish species, and the successful recruitment of large-bodied commercially important species, where baffles have been implemented.
Mountain Galaxias Photo: Greg Wallis Mouth Almighty Photo: John Lenagan
Abecia, JED, Luiz, OJ, King, AJ, (2018). Intraspecific morphological and reproductive trait variation in mouth almighty Glossamia aprion (Apogonidae) across different flow environments. Jounal of Fish Biology 93(5).
Allan, H., Unmack, P., Duncan, R.P. and Lintermans, M., 2018. Potential impacts of PIT tagging on a critically endangered small-bodied fish: a trial on the surrogate Mountain Galaxias. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 147(6), pp.1078-1084. https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tafs.10102
Intraspecific variability, although comparably less studied than interspecific variation, is an important tool in understanding population responses to environmental gradients. This study investigated intraspecific trait variation across three contrasting aquatic flow habitat types (intermittent creek, billabong and river) in a common mouth-brooding freshwater fish in northern Australia, the mouth almighty Glossamia aprion. Samples of G. aprion were collected at various sites, within the Daly River catchment. It was predicted that a number of morphological and reproductive traits would vary among individuals across the contrasting habitats. Five out of the nine morphological and reproductive traits studied significantly varied across flow habitat types. Significant intraspecific variation in functional traits related to foraging and reproduction, such as relative eye size, eye vertical position and relative maxillary length in males suggest that the inherent characteristics of each flow habitat type could be exerting selective pressure on the morphology of G. aprion. Interestingly, traits related to swimming performance (body lateral shape) and manoeuvrability (pectoral fin ventral position) differed between flow habitat types but showed inconsistent responses to predictions. Whilst this study was temporally and spatially limited, it highlights that intraspecific variability in morphological traits can occur among flow habitat types over relatively small spatial scales.
Recent advances in PIT technology have led to smaller tags, meaning that this technology can be used to mark and monitor smallerbodied species, many of which are threatened. We examined the effects of 9mm PIT tags on the survival and growth of the Mountain Galaxias Galaxias olidus, using this fish as a surrogate for several threatened, small-bodied galaxiids. We measured survival, growth, and tag retention in 34 tagged and 34 untagged fish held in aquaria for 90 d posttagging. Fish were randomly assigned to a treatment (tagged or untagged) and were weighed just prior to tagging and then at 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 90 d after tagging, with observations made 5–7 times per week to check for survival and tag loss. Survival did not differ significantly between tagged and untagged groups (79% and 88%, respectively), and there was no difference in weight gain or loss between the two groups over time. Tag retention rate was high (96%), with only one tag expelled by the smallest tagged fish (73 mm length to caudal fork). Our findings show that Mountain Galaxias are capable of successfully retaining 9mm PIT tags in aquarium conditions, suggesting that this technology is suitable for the monitoring of similar small-bodied fish in the wild.
Watson, JR, Goodrich, HR, Cramp, RL, Gordos, MA, Franklin, CE (2018). Utilising the boundary layer to help restore the connectivity of fish habitats and populations. Ecological Engineering 122
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-017-3924-2
Culverts are a major cause of habitat fragmentation in freshwater ecosystems, are a barrier to fish movement, and can be regarded as a significant contributor in the decline of freshwater fish populations globally. To try to address this, various culvert remediation designs have been implemented, including the installation of vertical baffles and the provision of naturalistic (rock) substrates. While remediation strategies generally aim to reduce the velocity of water flowing through the structure, there is often resistance to their use because the resultant reduction in culvert discharge can negatively impact upstream flooding while also resulting in debris clogging and increased culvert maintenance costs. In addition, baffles markedly increase water turbulence that may be detrimental to passage by some fish species or size classes. Here we present some novel remediation designs that exploit the reduced water velocity in boundary layers along the culvert wall to enhance fish passage without significantly compromising discharge capacity. These longitudinal designs produce an expanded reduced velocity zone along the culvert margins that generate minimal turbulence. We show that these novel designs are significantly advantageous to the swimming endurance and traversability for six small-bodied Australian fish species. We also provide data on how and why some culvert
Moran, N.P., Mossop, K.D., Thompson, R.M., Chapple, D.G. and Wong, B.B., 2017. Rapid divergence of animal personality and syndrome structure across an arid-aquatic habitat matrix. Oecologia, 185(1), pp.55-67. Intraspecific trait variation, including animal personalities and behavioural syndromes, affects how individual animals and populations interact with their environment. Within-species behavioural variation is widespread across animal taxa, which has substantial and unexplored implications for the ecological and evolutionary processes of animals. Accordingly, we sought to investigate individual behavioural characteristics in several populations of a desert-dwelling fish, the Australian desert goby (Chlamydogobius eremius). We reared first generation offspring in a common garden to compare non-ontogenic divergence in behavioural phenotypes between genetically interconnected populations from contrasting habitats (isolated groundwater springs versus hydrologically variable river waterholes). Despite the genetic connectedness of populations, fish had divergent bold-exploratory traits associated with their source habitat. This demonstrates divergence in risk-taking traits as a rapid phenotypic response to ecological pressures in arid aquatic habitats: neophilia may be suppressed by increased predation pressure and elevated by high intraspecific competition. Correlations between personality traits also differed between spring and river fish. River populations showed correlations between dispersal and novel environment behaviours, revealing an adaptive behavioural syndrome (related to dispersal and exploration) that was not found in spring populations. This illustrates the adaptive significance of heritable behavioural variation within and between populations, and their importance to animals persisting across contrasting habitats.
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 47
Books For all of you who have ever wondered just how Gunther Schmida goes about taking stunningly beautiful images of fish, turtles and other freshwater life, then you will find all his ‘secrets’ in his recently released 52 page magazine style booklet. With chapters on equipment, lighting, framing and focus, props and backgrounds, plants and filtration, this book has more than enough information to give you a great grounding in fish photography; you just have to supply the patience and practice. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with some of Gunthers’ best images. It is available as a print on demand soft cover book (22 x 28 cm) or as an electronic PDF download from Blurb books. For just AUD $10 you can download the beautiful PDF version of the book, and have access to it instantly! Alternatively, the printed book is approximately AUD $40 including printing, shipping and handling, but this price varies with exchange rates. Please check the website for accurate pricing. Visit Blurb and order your copy of An introduction to Photography of Australian Freshwater life by clicking here
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 48
A field guide to the FRESHWATER FISHES of the KIMBERLEY With 262 full colour pages, written by 8 expert authors and including more than a dozen new species, this newly released book is a must for any native fish enthusiast The Kimberley region in north-western Australia is world renowned for its rugged natural beauty, remoteness, waterfalls, and Aboriginal culture. It is home to a rich array of animals and plants, including a large number found nowhere else on Earth. The fish fauna is no exception, among which are species that are culturally important such as the iconic Barramundi, a prized recreational and commercial species. The brightly coloured rainbowfishes of the region are adored by aquarists, and the diversity of unusual grunters with uniquely adapted feeding structures baffles evolutionary biologists. Exciting discoveries of new fish species continue in the region, and this guide contains
information on where the species occur, their evolutionary relationships, biology, conservation status, cultural values, and local language names. This compact volume contains full colour illustrations and information on the inland fish fauna of the region from the Fitzroy River in the south-west to the Ord, Victoria and Fitzmaurice rivers in the east. It will serve as an educational resource for schools, community groups, recreational fishers, and government departments. It is our hope that this field guide will help in the conservation of the unique aquatic biodiversity of the Kimberley for current and future generations.
The book covers the following fishes; Elasmobranchs (Whaler Sharks, Sawfishes and Stingrays) Freshwater Teleosts (Freshwater Eels, Herrings, Forktail Catfishes, Eeltail Catfishes, Longtoms, Needlefishes, Rainbowfishes, Hardyheads, Silversides, Swamp Eels, Glassfishes, Giant Perches, Grunters, Cardinalfishes, Archerfishes, Gobies, Gudgeons and Soles) Marine-estuarine vagrants of the Kimberley (Tenpounders, Giant Herrings, Tarpons, Milkfishes, Garfishes, Halfbeaks, Ponyfishes, Snappers, Seaperches, Silverbiddies, Croakers, Drums, Jewfishes, Butterfishes, Scats, Mullets, Nurseryfishes, Pufferfishes and Toadies) Each species covered includes: general features, recognition, biology and habitat, distribution and abundance, conservation notes, local names and sources.
The book is available through ANGFA or selected bookshops and retails for around $20 plus postage
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The Freshwater Fishes of Australia – 2 This book is available, as an ebook and as a hard copy, from the author Gunther Schmida. See www.guntherschmida.com.au for a full range of available products, prices and special offers.
Preface Freshwater fish have been a much neglected part of Australia’s fauna for many years. Only the species appreciated by anglers, food connoisseurs or keepers of ornamental fish were better known. Even today most people consider freshwater fish to be drab and boring by comparison to marine species. They are neither, and it is hoped that this series of e-books will bury this myth once and for all. Australian freshwater fish, especially the ones suitable for fish keeping, have been my passion for over 40 years. Almost as long ago as I decided to keep, breed and study Australian freshwater fish, I also commenced photographing them in the best possible way.
scientists and dedicated amateurs in this field, who were prepared to share their knowledge. This volume deals with the Hardyheads, Rainbowfishes and Blue-eyes, many of which have become some of the best known Australian freshwater fish globally in recent years. It is designed to be up-dated and up-graded whenever new information or better images become available .
As this is not possible in the wild for various reasons, all images on these pages were taken in as natural settings as possible, in aquaria meeting the requirements of the many species. Freshwater fish literature was scarce back then, and most wildlife books ignored these aquatic creatures altogether, or did not show them in a natural way. Things have changed for the better since, but this e-book is the first where the author can claim to actually have had at least some first hand experience with all living subjects shown on these pages. Even so, it would not have been possible to provide the current knowledge contained herein without the detailed work of many
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 50
Pictorial Guide to Victoria’s Freshwater Fishes Rudie Kuiter
VICTORIA‘S F RESHWATER F ISHES
Pictorial Guide to
2nd Edition
Most native freshwater fishes in Victoria are small, live in coldwater, and very few show bright colours. Originating from the ancient southern supercontinent called Gondwana, they evolved into unique families and genera, with close relatives in temperate southern America and Africa. The family Galaxiidae is the largest with about 30 species in Victoria, many which were only recently recognised, and others are yet to be named. Being too demanding to keep, they generally attract very little interest from aquarists. Many species are now critically endangered or have gone extinct due to habitat loss. Most populations were wiped out with landclearing, logging and introduction of the salmonid fishes. All presently known Victorian galaxiids are included in this book. Exotic fishes were introduced, some to please the anglers and others for mosquito control, all of which were detrimental to the native species. Native fishes are treated comprehensively in taxonomic order in the first and largest part of this book. The exotic fishes are presented separately in the second part. • the species are illustrated with over 850 images, with comprehensive coverage of the native species showing the differences in juvenile and adult stages, as well as the various geographical and localised forms. • general information is provided on native fishes for each family, genus and species. The Pictorial Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Victoria (2nd ed) hard copy retails for $70 but is available to ANGFA members for $50 from ANGFA or direct from the author.
2ND EDITION
RUDIE H KUITER
Pick-up in Seaford welcome: PO Box 124, Seaford VIC 3198, Australia. 0428 418 452. rudiekuiter@optusnet.com.au
Victoria’s Galaxiid Fishes Rudie Kuiter
Galaxiid fishes are of Gondwana origin and well represented in Victoria. All known members are described and illustrated with multiple images, including many apparently new species. With nearly all natural habitats destroyed and predatory trout recklessly introduced, many species are critically endangered and surviving in headwaters of river basins as highly localised small populations in forested habitats.Galaxiid fishes are most vulnerable in their last stand, but environmental departments are determined to eliminate even the small percentage left with their clearfell logging and deliberate fires These destructive actions have to stop to arrest the demise of the remaining populations and their habitats need to be protected. In having a species on the internatinal red-list as ‘critically endangered’ means very little for habitats and is typically ignored by industries. This book serves to make people aware of these special fishes living in our forests Victoria’s Galaxiids is available directly from the author at Aquatic Photographics. Hard copies are only $30 each and postage is $6 within Australia. Pick-up in Seaford welcome.
Rudie has just released updated e-versions of both books and generously made both available for free download via the following links
Pictorial Guide to Victoria’s Freshwater Fishes (22 MB) Victoria’s Galaxiid Fishes (29 MB)
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 51
A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes, Crayfishes & Mussels of South-western Australia. Produced as part of the Freshwater Fauna Project, this Field Guide summarises all that is currently known about the iconic, yet often unnoticed species of fish, crayfish and mussels inhabiting the fresh waters of south-western Australia. It offers useful tips on how to recognise and identify these animals, as well as information about their distribution, behaviour, biology, and the threats they face. The book is published by the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare (SERCUL) and Murdoch University and is funded by Lotterywest. At only $10 per copy (incl. GST) plus $3 postage per book (within Australia), it is a great addition to any fish or natural history library. The book can be ordered online by visiting the SERCUL website www.sercul.org.au/our-projects/ffp/ About the Freshwater Fauna Project SERCUL, in partnership with Murdoch University’s Freshwater Fish Group and Fish Health Unit have produced an educational package on Freshwater Fauna of South-western Australia. Two brochures, a field guide and three short films have been made which are being distributed throughout the south west, and around the world, to relevant organisations, businesses, educational centres, community groups, individuals and many more. A range of brochures, posters and short films are all available from the website, including resource packages for teachers. Visit the SERCUL website for more information.
Rainbowfishes ~ Their Care & Keeping in Captivity
Adrian Tappin
Second Edition – 2011
This book is a comprehensive and illustrated guide to the remarkable rainbowfishes found in Australia and New Guinea. It is an indispensable reference manual for anyone interested in keeping rainbowfishes in captivity. The book provides a tremendous amount of information for anyone from beginner to experienced keeper on just about everything needed to keep and breed rainbowfishes successfully. Detailed easy to follow sections guide the reader through all aspects of their care and keeping in captivity. The information provided covers topics such as distribution, habitats, collecting, shipping, keeping and caring, how to successfully breed and raise rainbowfishes, foods and feeding, disease treatment and prevention, and much more. A comprehensive illustrated species section is also provided. This book provides the rainbowfish keeper with proven, practical methods for the successful management and propagation of rainbowfishes to ensure they can maintain long-term selfsustainable populations. It is the authors’ hope that this book will assist rainbowfish keepers in achieving this goal. No other publication currently exists that brings together all the methods and techniques for successfully keeping rainbowfishes in captivity. The book combines the authors’ years of experience with scientifically researched information from around the globe. This information together with excellent photographs of most of the known species of rainbowfishes from recognised hobbyists worldwide have contributed to make this a truly international rainbowfish reference book. The book is available in print quality as a free download (198 MB) by clicking on this link. ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 52
FRIENDS OF ANGFA AND CLUB SPONSORS The businesses listed below actively promote Australian Native Fishes. Please show your appreciation by supporting these businesses.
AGGIES AQUARIUM Unit4/10 Research Rd Pooraka SA 5095 (08) 8359 7099 aggiesaquarium@internode.on.net AMAZING AMAZON Paul and Ben 365 Springvale Road Glen Waverley VIC 3150 (03) 9545 0000 www.amazingamazon.com.au AMAZONAS www.AmazonasMagazine.com AQUAGREEN Dave Wilson PO Box 756, Howard Springs NT 8035 Ph: (08) 8983 1483 aqua.green@bigpond.com www.aquagreen.com.au AQUAHUB PO Box 9 Taigum QLD 4053 (07) 3361 6437 www.aqua-hub.com.au
FLUVIAL AQUATICS www.fluvialaquatics.com GUPPY’S AQUARIUM PRODUCTS 11 Flagstone Drive Burleigh QLD 4220 (07) 5520 1922 www.guppysauariumproducts.com.au GUYRA Aimee and Steve Brooks 131 McClintok Rd, Wamuran QLD 4572 (07) 5496 6761 HIBISCUS PETS AND AQUARIUMS Shop 22 Hibiscus Shopping Town Darwin NT 0812 (08) 8927 6424
LIVERPOOL CREEK AQUARIUM www.liverpoolcreekaquarium.com M.S. AQUARIUM 7/1 Field Close Morrebank NSW 2170 (02) 9601 1608 NEW LIFE AQUARIUM 545A Whitehorse Road Mitcham VIC 3132 (03) 8838 1087 www.facebook.com/NewLifeAquariumMitcham/
AQUASONIC 14 Commerce Street Wauchope NSW 2446 (02) 6586 4933 www.aquasonic.com.au
PAKY PETS Keith Shop 2/114 Princes Highway Packenham VIC 3810 (03) 5940 1091
AQUARIUM INDUSTRIES www.aquariumindustries.com.au
PET CITY 224 Wishart Rd Mt. Gravatt QLD 4122 (07) 3849 2086 www.petcity.com.au
AUSYFISH.COM PO Box 324 Childers QLD 4660 admin@ausyfish.com www.ausyfish.com CITY FARMERS PET SUPPLIES 45 Osborne Rd Mitchelton QLD 4018 (07) 3354 1275 www.cityfarmers.com.au
QFAS www.qfas.com.au SEAVIEW AQUARIUMS Northlands Centre 2/386 Wanneroo Rd Westminster WA 6061 (08) 9344 7210 www.facebook.com/Seaview-Aquariums SCALZ NATURE ARTIST Sam Garcia Jr. scalz@scalz.com www.facebook.com/scalznatureartist
LIVEFISH.COM.AU
AQUAMAIL 2/57 Hastings River Drive Port Macquarie NSW 2444 (02) 6583 3422 www.aquamail.com.au
AQUARIUMS BY DESIGN Greg Martin 0407 094 313 gregmartinfishman@gmail.com
PISCES PO Box 200 Kenmore QLD 4069 (07) 3374 1839 www.piscesenterprises.com
PETS ‘R’ US 74 Lovegrove Drive Ciccone NT 0870 (08) 8952 8652 www.petsrus.com.au PETER HANSLER phansler@hotmail.com rainbowrunner.ausfish.com.au
ANGFA NEWS 60 February 2019 PAGE 53
SUBSCAPE AQUARIUM Justin and Kim 310/312 Victoria Street Richmond VIC 3180 (03) 9427 0050 www.subscape.com.au THE TECH DEN 2/28 Piper St Caboolture QLD 4510 (07) 5432 3260 www.thetechden.com.au THE AGE OF AQUARIUMS Unit 2/10–12 Webber Drive Browns Plains QLD 4118 (07) 3800 5592 sales@aquariumproducts.com.au www.aquariumproducts.com.au SUNCOAST WATER GARDENS 283 Fraser Rd Beerwah QLD 4519 (07) 5494 8234 www.suncoastaustralia.com sales@suncoastaustralia.com VICTORIAN REPTILE SUPPLIES Adam www.facebook.com/victorianreptiles