Australian native freshwater species – Page 8

Queensland Threatened Fish Colouring Book

aquarium, Australian native freshwater species, Club News, threatened species

Aug 262013

In recognition of National Threatened Species Day 2013, ANGFA Qld have produced a colouring in book depicting some of Queensland's threatened freshwater fish - for free download. With original art from Rose Levanti-Niblock, photos from Gunther Schmida, and editing by Adrian Tappin the book includes a colouring-in section and a section with some facts and photos about the featured fish that will help teachers and parents provide more information for enquiring minds.

Inside you'll find Queensland's:

Red-finned Blue-eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis);
Edgbaston Goby (Chlamydogobius squamigenus);
Honey Blue-eye (Pseudomugil mellis);
Ornate Rainbowfish (Rhadinocentrus ornatus);
Oxleyan Pygmy Perch (Nannoperca oxleyana);
Jungle Perch (Kuhlia rupestris); and
Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri).

Please feel free to pass a link to this page on to teachers, schools and anyone else you think might be interested. ANGFA Qld promotes a better understanding of our native fish and the waterways they live in.

Birdsville’s elusive freshwater crocodile trapped by volunteer

Australian native freshwater species, wildlife

Aug 252013

Original story at ABC News

The game is up for an elusive freshwater crocodile that has been giving authorities the slip in Birdsville in south-west Queensland.

he freshwater crocodile is being removed from the Diamantina River near Birdsville and taken to Dreamworld. Photo: Sandra McShane via ABC News

Concerns had been raised about a threat posed by the crocodile to visitors to the Birdsville races next month.

Council officers and park rangers had been trying to trap the crocodile for nearly a fortnight and council planned to shoot it if it was not caught by the end of the month.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger Don Rowlands says everyone was about to give up yesterday, when volunteer crocodile catcher James Brough jumped into the water and grabbed it by the snout.

"There was mud and water and splashing and all sorts of things going on," he said.

"It was quite exciting, you know, he is only a metre long poor, little fellow.

"It's a pretty happy day for all of us here. It [would have been] a sad thing to see this poor creature be shot for no good reason.

"It's a good outcome and the crocodile is now going to be relocated to a new home."

Mr Rowlands says Mr Brough is a brave man.

"[The crocodile] went under the water and we thought 'oh bugger, he might of slipped back through', so we jumped into the water and there he was and we grabbed him by the snout," he said of the capture.

"He done the crocodile roll, he put up a bit of struggle, but James is a professional catcher so it went pretty well otherwise."

The reptile will be moved to a temporary home at a Gold Coast theme park.

Turning turtle to find new species

Australian native freshwater species, threatened species

Aug 252013

Original story by Nicky Phillips, Wauchope Gazette

"Come on, take off your clothes and get in." Scientist Arthur White is neck-deep in a murky creek about 200 kilometres north of Mount Isa, making me an offer I'd rather refuse.

Elseya lavarackorum, the endangered Gulf Snapping Turtle. Photo: Faendalimas/Wikimedia Commons

The hot spring-fed creek is covered in a thick film of algae and is a likely home for a few crocodiles - a hazard that doesn't seem to bother Dr White. ''Don't worry, they'll only be freshies,'' he says.

By the time I lower myself into the silty water, he has disappeared below the surface in search of a less fearsome reptile, the endangered gulf snapping turtle.

In the 1980s, Dr White was the first person to describe the species, but his study came from a specimen that had been buried for millions of years in the nearby Riversleigh World Heritage fossil site.

A decade later, scientists were surprised to learn the species was not extinct when a university student captured a live gulf snapping turtle in a nearby creek.

The experience struck Dr White as an embarrassing reflection of how little we know about our wildlife.

''We were in this silly situation where we knew the fossil fauna better than the modern animal fauna,'' he says. ''We'd described the gulf snapping turtle from a fossil at Riversleigh, but it was here swimming around the whole bloody time.''

This prompted Dr White to start an annual fauna survey. For two decades, the scientist and a team of volunteers travelled to Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park to catalogue the wildlife, spending up to six weeks a year surveying the animals.

The team have collected many species unknown to science, including reptiles, amphibians, insects and a variety of rock wallaby.

As part of the survey, the team started trapping turtles. Which brings us to the warm waters of Louie Creek.

There's a splash as Dr White dives below the surface. A minute later he's holding a Worrell's turtle, but he releases it when another animal gets his attention.

''There's a two-to-three metre croc under the bank over there,'' he says, pointing a few metres ahead of where we are treading water.

I take a breath and put my head below the surface. As my eyes adjust, I see the crocodile's long, narrow snout. It doesn't move.

We watch it for a few more minutes. Then it's time to go.

''Shall we swim back now?'' Dr White asks.

I'd rather walk, I say.

Australian Zoos and Aquariums Unite to Save Our Species

aquarium, Australian native freshwater species, Club News, threatened species

Aug 212013

National Threatened Species Day 2013: small actions have BIG effects. Act now to save species!

Events Friday September 6, 2013 (please note the actual day is September 7)

National Threatened Species Day first occurred in 2007 after Frank Manthey, Co-Founder, Save the Bilby Fund and Al Mucci, Director of Dreamworld embarked on a vision: to collectively harness the zoo and aquaria industry to draw attention to the plight of our national threatened species.

Australia New Guinea Fish Association, Queensland National Threatened Species Day has since run with great success in Queensland. This year, the event has expanded to a number of other states in Australia.

Free community events are being held across New South Wales, Queensland, and Northern Territory.

ANGFA Qld has produced a Threatened Fish Colouring Book as part of the event this year.

WHO: ANGFA Qld is joining with zoos and aquariums across Australia for this National Threatened Species Day in partnership with the Save the Bilby Fund. Featuring celebrity ambassadors, Frank Manthey ‘The Bilby Man’ and Ranger Stacey.

WHAT: Over 30 zoos and aquariums, under the banner of the Zoo and Aquarium Association will bring a range of iconic, quirky, creepy and slithery threatened species into city locations across the nation. This FREE event will inspire and educate local communities about the plight of threatened species.

Have your photo taken with a Tassie Devil, cuddle a koala, pat a Dingo pup etc!

Experience a close encounter with a variety of live threatened species.

Save The Bilby Fund

WHEN: 8am – 2pm, with 10 – 15 minute interactive and fun presentations by keepers with their animals.

WHERE: Friday Sept 6 - Sydney (Martin Place) and Brisbane (Queen Street Mall, CBD); Sunday September 1 - Cairns (Carnival on Collins); and Saturday September 7 Darwin (Waterfront)

WHY: The Zoo and Aquarium Association connects zoos and aquariums throughout Australasia in a network for conservation. We will inspire local communities to find out what is threatening many of our species, and educate them on what we can all do in our daily lives to help save them.

The Zoo and Aquarium Association connects 90 member zoos and aquariums in a network for conservation. Together, with the Australian Government, and other conservation organisations such as the Save the Bilby Fund we are working to protect and conserve these threatened species through species management programs, and education.

The collective vision of the Zoo and Aquarium Association members is to harness the membership for conservation. Together our aim is to prevent the extinction of species.

Why 7th September?

The date for National Threatened Species Day, (7th September) commemorates the last day that the Tasmanian Tiger was alive in 1936. Now, 76 years later, Australia is still facing the extinction of many threatened species including Australia’s very own Bilby and Tasmanian Devil.

The Value of Australian Zoos and Aquariums

Zoos and aquariums are the second most popular cultural activity in Australia with over 15 million visitors annually, second only to the cinema;
they contribute to the education of over 600,000 students per annum;
they rescue and rehabilitate on average over 14,000 Australian animals each year; and
they care for 370 species on the International Union Conservation for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of endangered species.

What are zoos doing for our threatened species?

Currently, zoos and aquariums are working with government in every state and territory in Australia to participate in recovery efforts for some of the country’s most endangered wildlife. For example, zoos are the only viable solution to saving the Tasmanian Devil through the Insurance Population, a captive breeding program in partnership with the Tasmanian Government.

Zoo and Aquarium Association

Zoo and Aquarium Association is the peak body for zoos and aquariums with over 70 member zoos in Australasia.
The Association has coordinated National Threatened Species Day.
The Association currently run more than 100 managed programs for rare and threatened species.

Extinctions are a natural part of evolution however there is no excuse for man-made extinctions. We must all act together to prevent the extinction of any more of our wonderful and amazing species.

www.zooaquarium.org.au

Aquatic life opportunistic in Kimberley’s transient wet

Australian native freshwater species, waterways/wetlands

Aug 192013

Original story by Geoff Vivian, ScienceNetwork Western Australia

A LOCAL ecologist says aquatic plants in the Kimberley’s arid tropics have evolved to cope with harsh and unusual conditions.

Mr Cross is also studying the carnivorous aquatic plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa. Photo: John Pittman

University of WA PhD student Adam Cross gave the example of short-lived aquatic plants or ephemeral hydrophytes living in temporary pools called gilgai, on the black soil plains.

“The extensive alluvial mudflats crack and dry in the dry season, they form mounds and hollows,” Mr Cross says.

“In the subsequent wet season [they] fill with water and stay wet for months at a time.

“They will go from completely inundated throughout the wet season, and then within a very short period once the dry season begins they will dry down to completely desiccated rock-hard mud.

“They also burn with quite regular frequency as bush fires go through in the savannah areas of the Kimberley.

“Fire is an ecological mechanism for many species in Western Australia particularly, but not one which people would associate with the aquatic flora.

“Fire may play a role in the ecology of some of the ephemeral species.”

Mr Cross says Kimberley sandstone pavements are an even more ephemeral habitat for their water plants which show a high degree of endemism.

They complete their entire life cycles in pools as shallow as one centimetre, which may dry up just three weeks later.

He says some of the sandstone country dates back to the earliest periods in the planet’s history, and its aquatic flora may have survived the arid glaciation periods that caused significant extinction events among other northern Australian flora.

He is conducting PhD studies on the ecology of vegetation in Kimberley aquatic habitats, particularly hydrophytes, at Kings Park laboratories.

As such plants and habitats are inadequately described, part of his research examines ecological triggers to plant growth and seed germination.

“From the field observations … we can observe what naturally occurs; how the plants respond to periods of rainfall, how they respond to flooding, how they respond to drying,” he says.

“When we come back in the laboratory we can then run seeds through simulated natural conditions, and try and explore some of the logical mechanisms that maintain the ecosystem.”

These include subjecting soil and seeds to various tests to see whether important compounds evolve from wet soil, which may stimulate germination.

“It’s really all just about figuring out those ecological cues and building up the story of why the flora that’s in the Kimberley is there and what mechanisms have shaped the building of that diversity.”

Notes:

Adam Cross is a PhD student at the University of WA. He is based at Kings Park. He is lead author of the preliminary paper: Cross et al Ephemeral freshwater habitats and adaptations of the aquatic flora in the North Kimberley bioregion, Western Australia.

This story pertains to deliveries in theme 3 of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.

Bony Bream in Kakadu, NT

Australian native freshwater species, waterways/wetlands

Aug 152013

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube: Bony Bream (Nematolosa erebi) in Kakadu, NT

Bony Bream (Nematalosa erebi) are a type of herring (Clupeidae): these were filmed as they swam feeding in spiralling upward circles in a pool at the base of the escarpment in Kakadu National Park.

Other fish seen in the video are Sooty Grunters (Hephaestus fuliginosus), Butler's or Sharpnose Grunters (Syncomistes butleri), and Diamond Mullet (Liza alata) .

For more information on these fishes see:

Bony Bream (Nematalosa erebi) http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h...

Butler's or Sharpnose Grunter (Syncomistes butleri) http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h...

Sooty Grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus) http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h...

Diamond Mullet (Liza alata) http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h...

The Fish Atlas of North Australia -- South Alligator River http://www.jcu.edu.au/archive/actfr_o...

Rose’s Ribbons from the RNA

aquarium, Australian native freshwater species, Club News

Aug 142013

Rose Levanti-Niblock with her champion Australasian native fish at the Ekka, 2013

ANGFA Queensland member Rose Levanti-Niblock has done extremely well in this years RNA Pisciculture Competiton with her two native freshwater fish displays.

Tadpole the Lungfish

Queensland lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) "Tadpole", owned by Rose Levanti-Niblock.

Taking first place in the Big Fish Category was Rose's pride and joy "Tadpole", a 6yr old Queensland lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri). Tadpole usually lives at home in an all native 5 foot tank with a 20cm archerfish (Toxotes sp.), another lungfish, two bass (Macquaria novemaculeata), two red/spotted scats (Scatophagus argus) and two purple-spot gudgeons (Mogurnda sp.). Rose hand feeds Tadpole, Massivore delite, sinking granules, algae wafers, crayfish, fish, snails and a homemade seafood and veggie mix.

Tadpole was entered into the Big Fish category, which allows for large fish that wouldn't fit into the show at their full size (as long as they're at least 20cm at time of judging), and won first place.

Rose purchased tadpole 18 months ago from Ceratodus.com. His parents were wild caught and he is microchipped to prove he was captive bred as lungfish are a no-take species under Queensland law and there trade is restricted by CITES. Fossils similar to the lungfish date back 380 million years, approximately the time when higher vertebrate classes began evolving. It has remained virtually unchanged for at least 100 million years. The only natural populations occur in Queensland's Mary and Burnett river systems.

Ambassis agassizii display. Winner of the "Australasian Native Fish: Any Other Variety" class (essentially native non-rainbow fish) and champion of the Australasian Native Fish category.

Champion Australasian Native Fish: Olive Perchlets

Rose also entered a group of Olive Perchlets (Ambassis agassizii) into the "Any Other Variety" class of the Australasian native category. Not only did the Olive Perchlets win their class, they held their own against Australian and New Guinea rainbowfishes entered by previous winners to take out the category as Champion Australasian Native Fish!

Rose's display included 5 full size (65 mm), 8 medium, and 6 tiny Olive Perchlets that were "by-product" from a local crayfish farm, otherwise destined to be used to feed other peoples pets anlongside firetail gudgeons... The 2 foot display tank was furnished with red river gravel, river rocks, and vine wood. It was planted with native Vallisneria nana, Potamogeton perfoliatus, some exotic crypts and other plants.

Congratulations Rose, it's great to see some other native fish giving the rainbows more than just a run for their money!

Lamprey fish still parched after drought

Australian native freshwater species, waterways/wetlands

Aug 142013

Original story by Wendy Collis, ABC Rural

It has no jaw, a sucker-like mouth and it swims between the estuary of the Coorong and the fresh water of the lower Murray to complete its life cycle.

The Lamprey fish is still recovering from the drought of 2009 which saw the level of Lake Alexandrina, at the end of the Murray system, drop dramatically.

This is the Lamprey fish.

But a few years ago, water levels were so low in Lake Alexandrina that there were concerns the lamprey might not be able to finish its migration.

Since then, more environmental water flows down the Murray have allowed the fish-ways to open, but a recent survey found only two lampreys.

Wendy Collis spoke to Adrienne Frears, a Wetland Ecologist with the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, at the Goolwa barrage.

"We have had our fish scientists from SARDI aquatic sciences come out and do two weeks of monitoring here at the fish way on Goolwa barrage.

"This species, we think it is only just recovering from the drought.

"We actually only found only two of them here at Goolwa over that two week period; lots of other fish, which was exciting.

"But we think that because of the big period of drought, this species is only just starting to recover."

Sooty Grunters in Kakadu: Wild Fish Tank

aquarium, Australian native freshwater species, waterways/wetlands

Aug 142013

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube: Sooty Grunters (Hephaestus fuliginosus) in Kakadu: Wild Fish Tank

Two common grunters (Terapontidae) found in the waterways of Kakadu are the Sooty Grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus) and Butler's Grunter or Sharp-nose Grunter (Syncomistes butleri). These fishes were filmed schooling together in the catchment of the South Alligator River in Kakadu National Park. Archerfish or Riflefish (Toxotes chatareus) are also seen in this video.

For more information see:

Sooty Grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus) http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/...

Butler's or Sharpnose Grunter (Syncomistes butleri) http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/...

Sevenspot Archerfish or Riflefish (Toxotes chatareus) http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/...

The Fish Atlas of North Australia -- South Alligator River http://www.jcu.edu.au/archive/actfr_o...

Rainbowfish species diverged earlier than thought

Australian native freshwater species

Aug 132013

Original story by Aaron Fernandes, ScienceNetwork WA

NEW research shows the evolution of Australian rainbowfish was most probably caused by geological changes in the region, with the divergence into separate species probably occurring much earlier than previously thought.

The research also suggests rainbowfishes may be older than experts previously thought and provides a new framework for the timing of divergence within the family. Photo: Nathan Rupert

A joint research initiative between the Western Australian Museum, Brigham Young University, and National Evolutionary Synthesis Center recently finished the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of rainbowfishes ever undertaken, which included virtually all rainbowfish species.

The research explored the biogeographic history of rainbowfishes in Australia and New Guinea, to determine how the various species are related to one another and how the geography of the region relates to their evolution.

Dr Peter Unmack says the study shows geography is a key indicator as to whether any two species of rainbowfish are closely related.

“We had collected samples extensively over the years and I began conducting DNA sequencing and gradually built a bigger and bigger data set,” he says.

“The major finding was the importance of geographic distribution, which confirms previous findings but this was a lot more thorough in that we had virtually all of the species included.”

The research also suggests rainbowfishes may be older than experts previously thought and provides a new framework for the timing of divergence within the family.

“The central Highlands of New Guinea have been going up very fast for the past five million years, and researchers previously thought that when the mountain range began to rise, the fish in the north were isolated from the fish in the south,” Dr Unmack says.

“We have shown that rainbow fish actually diverged much earlier than that, perhaps as much as 17-20 million years before the north-south separation. The geology suggests things should be young, but the genetics says things may be older than predicted.

“There was a lot of introgression among the groups.

“Essentially, some of the species within the group have mixed with other species at particular times in the past and then separated, and so have a lingering genetic history that includes the other species they’ve mixed with.

“Species breeding with other species creates gene flow between species, and yet rainbowfishes still maintain themselves as separate entities.”

Researchers also documented 15-20 undescribed species of rainbowfish, with as many as 10 of these occurring in Australia.

“Rainbowfishes are a very important Australian group, one that we consider well studied, and that has been very actively worked on for 25 years, so to discover these undescribed species highlights how much work is still to be done on sorting out the taxonomy of Australian fishes.”

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The game is up for an elusive freshwater crocodile that has been giving authorities the slip in Birdsville in south-west Queensland.

Events Friday September 6, 2013 (please note the actual day is September 7)

Extinctions are a natural part of evolution however there is no excuse for man-made extinctions. We must all act together to prevent the extinction of any more of our wonderful and amazing species.

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube: Bony Bream (Nematolosa erebi) in Kakadu, NT

ANGFA Queensland member Rose Levanti-Ni​block has done extremely well in this years RNA Pisciculture Competiton with her two native freshwater fish displays.

Tadpole the Lungfish

Champion Australasian Native Fish: Olive Perchlets

It has no jaw, a sucker-like mouth and it swims between the estuary of the Coorong and the fresh water of the lower Murray to complete its life cycle.

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube: Sooty Grunters (Hephaestus fuliginosus) in Kakadu: Wild Fish Tank

ANGFA Queensland member Rose Levanti-Niblock has done extremely well in this years RNA Pisciculture Competiton with her two native freshwater fish displays.