How wildlife tourism and zoos can protect animals in the wild

 community, Interest, research, threatened species, wildlife
May 192014
 

Original story by Stephen Garnett, Charles Darwin University and Kerstin Zander, Charles Darwin University at The Conversation

Big Ritchie looks up from his pile of bananas, unperturbed by the flock of tourists taking his photo. Sprawled around him, mother orangutans* and their fluffy orange babies groom affectionately, chase each other, hang upside down, or wander off and vanish into the nearby forest canopy.
new research shows seeing orangutans like Big Ritchie in conservation areas can raise vital support to protect his cousins in the wild. Photo: CC BY-SA

new research shows seeing orangutans like Big Ritchie in conservation areas can raise vital support to protect his cousins in the wild. Photo: CC BY-SA

Fewer than 2,000 orangutans are left living in the wild in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with nearly all truly wild ones confined to a remote site on the Indonesian border. It’s why thousands of tourists and local Sarawak people come to places like this – the popular Semenggoh Nature Reserve – to see orangutans semi-wild in a reserve or captive in a rehabilitation centre. Continue reading »

Monster feral goldfish in the Vasse River WA

 Australian native freshwater species, pest species, research, waterways/wetlands
May 172014
 

Original story by Paige Taylor, The Australian

ACOUSTIC tags used to track great white sharks off the West Australian coast have been put to use on a menacing population of giant goldfish in the Western Australia’s southwest.
A 2kg Goldfish from the Vasse River, south of Perth.

A 2kg Goldfish from the Vasse River, south of Perth.

The former pets and their offspring, some 40cm in length and weighing 2kg, are among invasive feral fish entering the southwest waterways, where for the first time unique local fish are outnumbered by alien species. Continue reading »

Tarpon / Oxeye Herring (Megalops cyprinoides), Finniss River, NT

 Australian native freshwater species, Field Trips, waterways/wetlands
May 152014
 

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube

The Tarpon or Ox-eye Herring (Megalops cyprinoides) is a common fish found in the rivers and coastal areas of northern Australia. It is also found through much of the tropics from east Africa, across the Indian Ocean to South-east Asia. It is also commonly referred to as the Indo-Pacific Tarpon outside of Australian waters.The Tarpon/Oxeye Herring from Australian waters should not be confused with the much larger Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) from the americas. The fish at the end of the video is a Black Catfish (Neosilurus ater).

Although the Oxeye Herring can grow to well over a metre, it is more commonly seen up to around 50 cm. Larger fish are normally found in marine waters.

The tarpon can often be seen flashing and “gulping” air at the waters surface; it can tolerate low oxygen levels in the water due to it’s ability to supplement it’s oxygen supply via air that is gulped into it’s modified swim bladder.

Tarpon are highly regarded as a sportfish because of their fighting ability on light tackle. They are often observed actively feeding on the surface of tropical billabongs in the early morning and late afternoon where they are easily caught on flies and lures although they are regarded as poor eating because of the large number of fine bones.

For more information on Oxeye Herring see the Fishes of Australia website at:

http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h…

CAAB Taxon Code: 37054001

www.gregwallis.com

Wild Melanotaenia boesemani, Ayamaru river

 Papua New Guinea native freshwater species, waterways/wetlands
May 102014
 

By TAMALIN TV at YouTube

Underwater video footage of wild Melanotaenia boesemani.

This clip was made by Martin at Kali Tentara the famous river in Ayamaru Distric and as tributary to Ayamaru Lakes of the Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua..

Rainbowfish seen underwater of cristal clear water of Ayamaru river one of the tributary river the Ayamaru Lakes.

Boeseman’s Rainbowfish at Korom River, Aitinyo Lakes headwaters, New Guinea

New Designs Ease Fish Passage Around Dams

 fisheries, waterways/wetlands
May 102014
 

Original story by Rebecca Kessler, evironment360

Originating in Europe, “nature-like” fishways are now being constructed on some U.S. rivers where removing dams is not an option. Unlike traditional fish ladders, these passages use a natural approach aimed at significantly increasing once-abundant runs of migratory fish.
A fishway constructed at Seaforth Creek helps with fish spawning runs. Photo: Dragi Markovic

A fishway constructed at Seaforth Creek helps with fish spawning runs. Photo: Dragi Markovic

On a chilly April morning, when the buds had opened just enough to cast a faint red haze on the trees, Jim Turek drove me out to see how his latest construction project was faring after a long winter. In December, work crews completed a project designed to let fish swim over the old Kenyon Mill Dam spanning the Pawcatuck River in Richmond, Rhode Island. The dam, and one that probably preceded it, had been blocking the fish’s path from the sea to their upriver spawning grounds since the 1700s. What was once likely an annual migration of hundreds of thousands of river herring and tens of thousands of American shad had dwindled to just a few hundred fish. Runs of Atlantic salmon had long since disappeared. 

This was not your typical fish ladder — narrow concrete, metal, or wood contraptions that look a bit like flooded pedestrian highway overpasses. Instead, work crews had installed boulders in sweeping arcs or V-shaped formations clear across the river to create a series of broad pools. These ramped gradually from the natural riverbed up the now nearly submerged 5-foot-tall dam, whose top they had replaced. Continue reading »

Male-only gene trick could leave invasive fish species floundering

 pest species, research, waterways/wetlands
May 092014
 

The ConversationOriginal story by Ron Thresher, CSIRO at The Conversation

A genetic modification that creates male-only populations could give us a new weapon against invasive fish such as carp that plague our waterways.
Carp have spread throughout Australia’s waterways - but CSIRO is hoping to bring a new genetic weapon to bear on them. Photo: Kletr/Sutterstcok.com

Carp have spread throughout Australia’s waterways – but CSIRO is hoping to bring a new genetic weapon to bear on them. Photo: Kletr/Sutterstcok.com

“Daughterless technology”, which works by removing females so a population can no longer breed, has previously been used to tackle mosquitoes. But new CSIRO research shows that it also works on fish.

The technology is safe and could be used to greatest effect with other forms of pest control. It might also be used to control other vertebrate pests such as cane toads. Continue reading »

Guppies ramp up sperm for their sisters

 Interest, research
May 082014
 

Original story by Lydia Hales, ABC Science

Male guppies produce higher quality sperm when courting their sisters, which may hinder females’ efforts to reduce inbreeding, according to new research.
Ejaculates from males produced for siblings contained faster swimming sperm than those for unrelated females Photo: Dr Clelia Gasparini

Ejaculates from males produced for siblings contained faster swimming sperm than those for unrelated females Photo: Dr Clelia Gasparini

Professor Jonathan Evans, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Australia, says the research is one of few projects addressing the role of males in inbreeding avoidance.

Breeding between related individuals can result in harmful versions of genes being expressed, with previous guppy studies finding inbred offspring had lower survival rates, and reduced size and fertility.

In this latest study, published the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, two full-sibling male guppies (Poecilia reticulata), were chosen from each of 23 families.

After four months of life in a single-sex tank, they were placed in experimental tanks which held either a full-sibling female or unrelated female inside a perforated, clear drinking bottle.

This prevented physical contact, allowing the researchers to analyse courtship and ejaculates over a period of 40 days.

They expected the males would expend themselves less for sisters, which was the case in courtship behaviours. Continue reading »

BCC Pest Fish Education Event

 community, Field Trips, pest species, waterways/wetlands
May 072014
 

Where: Forest Lake Boulevard Park

Date: Sunday 25 May 2014

Time: From 9am – 12pm

Cost: Free

Learn how to identify pest fish species and the impact they pose on our native fish and aquatic habitat. During the event, residents will able to fish for Tilapia, a hardy fish whose effective breeding habits can lead to it overrunning native species, other noxious fish such as carp, and ornamental fish commonly kept in home aquariums such as goldfish. To take part in the fishing activity, residents are asked to sign up at the registration marquee near the Stage area at the parklands where they will be directed to one of the designated fishing sites around the lake.

There will also be a free sausage sizzle.

Participants will be required to bring along their own fishing rod and line. Barb-free hooks will be provided to reduce the impact on native bycatch that will be returned to the water. Bait will be available on site.

As this is an outdoors event, participants should also bring water, sun smart clothing, hat, sunscreen and enclosed shoes. All children, under the age of 18, must be accompanied by an adult.

Note: Fishing in Forest Lake is normally prohibited, however Council has approval to oversee this one off event to raise awareness for and manage this pest species.

Mozambique tilapia/mouthbrooder,Oreochromis mossambicus. Image: DAFF

Mozambique tilapia/mouthbrooder,Oreochromis mossambicus. Image: DAFF

More information about pest fish is available from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer), Finniss River, Northern Territory

 Australian native freshwater species, Field Trips, fisheries, waterways/wetlands
May 072014
 

By Greg Wallis (pseudechis) at YouTube

The Barramundi or Giant Perch (Lates calcarifer) is an iconic fish from the freshwater billabongs, estuaries and coastline of northern Australia. Growing to 180cm and 60kg in size, these fish are a formidable predator.

Hatchling Barramundi are almost entirely males and spend their first year around mangroves and floodplain lagoons before moving further upstream into freshwater. At around 3 — 5 years of age and 60 — 80 cms the fish change sex and become female and move downstream to the tidal river mouths to breed.

Generally speaking it’s not a good idea to swim in natural waterways where Barramundi occur. Because they migrate from upstream freshwater areas down to the mouths of the rivers and back again, if you see Barramundi in a swimming hole it means that there are no substantial barriers downstream impeding their movement up from the coast, which also means Saltwater Crocodiles will have no problems in also accessing the area!

Barramundi are highly prized by fisherman both for their eating and fighting qualities. They are a very important food source for Aboriginal people and are regularly depicted in bark paintings and rock art.

For more information on Barramundi see the Fishes of Australia website

http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/h…

CAAB Taxon Code: 37310006

www.greg wallis.com

A bird’s eye view of fish farms

 fisheries, research
May 072014
 

Media release from AlphaGalileo

Drones and “flying eyes” are making a major advance into the aquaculture industry.
In this experiment, researchers used the

In this experiment, researchers used the “OceanEye” system supplied by Maritime Robotics. The balloon, which is equipped with a remote-controlled camera, can remain airborne and will supply clear aerial images, even in “fresh breeze” conditions. The experiment was carried out at the Rataran facility, operated by SALMAR and ACE.

Is a facility adequately anchored? Are the wet-well vessels in the right place at the right time? Do the net pens have weaknesses which can result in escapes? It’s now possible, with the help of a couple of key strokes and techno assistance from above, literally to obtain an overview of all these issues. Continue reading »

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