Amphibians,+Reptiles+and+Fish


 * Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish**


 * Dr. Simpson's class - Kristian, Eve & Karly**

1. What animals do we have? Can you identify them? Can you locate where they are found - map? 2. Are any of them siginficant - rare, endangered, used by indigenous Australians as food or for clothing etc? 3. Can you correlate location with habitat types? Does the management of the vegetation influence the way that you will need to manage the animals? 4. What management actions would you develop for their protection?


 * Jenna and Alice** have take me water samples from the Watson Creek. Here is the when, what, how and why of what they did:....
 * Questions we raised:**


 * How much water is available in the nature reserve? How wide/big are the bodies of water?
 * What are the oxygen levels of the water? Does this change in different areas?
 * What are the average temperatures of the bodies of water?
 * How much light is available in the water for plant life?
 * What is the salinity and pH of the water?
 * How clear is the water?
 * What dissolved minerals are found in the water?

Over the past 2 weeks samples were collected from different areas of one of the pond located in the Nature Reserve. The samples were taken from the Top of the pond, the Middle of the pond and the Bottom of the pond. Two samples were taken from each area from opposite sides of the pond to get a broader variety of samples from around the pond. There was also a small flow of water going into the pond from the side that appeared to have oil or some pollutant in it – two samples were taken from this flow as well. We measured turbidity, conductivity, temperature and pH levels – as well as the depth.


 * Sample || Turbidity || Conductivity || Temperature || pH || Depth ||
 * Top 1 || 15 cm || 2240 µS/cm  || 15 degrees || 8.05 || 18 cm ||
 * Top 2 || 15cm || 2140 µS/cm  || 10 degrees || 7.93 || 18 cm ||
 * Middle 1 || 18 cm || 1470 µS/cm  || 10 degrees || 7.48 || 25 cm ||
 * Middle 2 || 18.5cm || 1460 µS/cm  || 10 degrees || 7.50 || 25cm ||
 * Bottom 1 || 17cm || 1738 µS/cm  || 11 degrees || 8.11 || 17 cm ||
 * Bottom 2 || 16 cm || 1502 µS/cm  || 11 degrees || 7.72 || 16cm ||
 * Polluted 1 || - || 1222 µS/cm  || - || 7.62 || - ||
 * Polluted 2 || - || 1180 µS/cm  || - || 7.51 || - ||



MicroSiemens per centimetre (µS/cm) the average measurement of conductivity from the samples we took from the pond is 1619 µS/cm, fresh drinking water has an average conductivity of 100 µS/cm and some slightly salty drainage water found on salt affected farms will be around 1800 µS/cm. This means that the water in the pond at The Brian Henderson Nature Reserve has very slightly salty water that a variety of native animals can live in and drink from.

Here is a list of the reptiles around Victoria, and the habitats in which they live in. Information has been gathered from [] =**__Amphibians__**= == =Conservtion Status:= All of these frogs with the exception of the 'Growling Grass Frog' are labeled as 'Least Concern'. However The Growing Grass Frog is unfortunately endangered with no actual sightings of a fully mature Growling Grass Frog in the Reserve. We've caught and successfully identified several breeds of tadpole, including:
 * Darcy and Seyi** we were only able to take one sample from each of the three ponds in the reserve. This is an insufficient sample size which doesn't give us broad enough results to make any conclusions about the frog life living in the reserve.
 * ======__PobbleBonk__======
 * ======__Spotted Marsh Frog__======
 * ======__Sothern Brown Tree Frog__======
 * ======__Striped Marsh Frog__======

However we do believe to have caught (and released!) 3 growling grass frog tadpoles which is exciting.
=**__Reptiles and habitats.__**= __**Pygopus lepidiopus - Common Scaly-foot (Lizard)**__ 1 Within the Melbourne area, the Common Scaly Foot is restricted to isolated populations on the Mornington Peninsula, where it lives on sandstone or in loose sand. It is usually most active in the hours immediately after dawn or immediately preceding dusk.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Amphibolurus muricatus - Jacky Lizard 12 **__Jacky Lizards are found throughout south-eastern Australia from South Australia to south-eastern Queensland. They are mainly found along the coast and ranges in dry sclerophyll, rocky ridges and coastal heathlands. They may be seen most readily in areas of low vegetation.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Egernia coventryi- Swamp Skink 124 __**The Swamp Skink is widely distributed across southern Victoria. It is most commonly found in swampy habitats near the coast, but has also been recorded from the Grampians.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Egernia whitti - White’s Skink 12 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">White’s Skink is widely distributed throughout Victoria except for the semi arid regions of the north and west. It is a gregarious species (meaning it lives in small groups) and usually lives in burrows under rocks.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Lampropholis delicata - Delicate Skink 12346 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Delicate Skink has a disjunct distribution from East Gippsland, through the Melbourne area to the Little Desert, and southwards to the Nelson district. It is found in open forests.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Lampropholis guichenoti - Garden Skink 12346 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Garden Skink is the most common skink found in suburban gardens around Melbourne. It is found over most areas of the state except the semi arid northern and western regions. It lives in a variety of treed habitats

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Lampropholis mustelina - Weasel Skink 236 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">Occurs in Gippsland and north east Victoria, through the Melbourne area to the Otway Ranges. Usually found in or under fallen timber, or rotting vegetation.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Leiolopisma duperreyi - Three-lined Skink 123 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Three-lined Skink is widely distributed throughout Victoria, excluding east Gippsland, the north central region, and the semi arid areas of the north west. It is normally found in association with grassy habitats.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Leiolopisma entrecasteauxii - Grass Skink (form B) 1234 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Grass Skink is widely spread over the southern areas of Victoria. As its name suggests, it is usually found in tussocky areas.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Leiolopisma metallica - Metallic Skink 1234 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">Restricted to areas from around and south of Mt. Baw Baw, the Mornington Peninsula, Mud Island and onto the Bellarine Peninsula. It utilises a wide range of habitats, from montane areas to grasslands and coastal heaths.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">__**Leiolopisma rawlinsoii - Glossy Grass Skink 4**__ - not found

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Nannoscincus maccoyi - McCoy’s Skink 12 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">McCoy’s Skink has a wide distribution in, and to the south of, the Great Dividing Range, with outlying populations in the Otway and Grampian ranges, and in the Kentbruck Heath of the far south west of Victoria. It is usually found under fallen logs.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Sphenomorphus tympanum - Southern Water Skink (Cool Temperate Form) 124 **__ These skinks commonly live near small creeks where they seek small prey such as invertebrates, tadpoles, small frogs and other small skinks.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Tiliqua nigrolutea - Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard 1236 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Blotched Blue Tongue is common in the east and north east areas of Melbourne. It is commonly found basking, or sheltering under cover such as fallen logs or discarded rubbish, such as timber or iron.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Tiliqua scincoides - Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard 1236 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">Although more common on the basalt plains to the west of Melbourne, Common Blue-tongue Lizards are also found on the Mornington Peninsula. They are usually found basking or sheltering under cover such as fallen logs, or discarded rubbish such as timber or iron.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Austrelaps superbus - Lowland Copperhead (Lowland form) 12346 **__<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The lowland copperhead prefers to live in swampy or marshy areas where it feeds on frogs, lizards and smaller snakes. It has a relatively smaller head than the tiger snake.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Cryptophis nigrescens - Eastern Small-eyed Snake 2 <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The Small-eyed Snake is widespread in the warm, dry forests of southern and eastern Victoria

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Drysdalia coronoides - White-lipped Snake 12346 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">The White-lipped Snake is quite common in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and occurs throughout the forested areas of southern Victoria, often in wetter habitats.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Notechis scutatus - Mainland Tiger Snake 12346 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">This species is common in some metropolitan areas of Melbourne, particularly the basalt plains of the western suburbs. It is widespread in Victoria although is absent from the non-riverine areas of the semi-arid north-west.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Pseudechis porphyriacus - Red-bellied Black Snake 4 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">It is widespread in eastern Victoria; north of the Dividing Range it is often associated with water courses. It is also relatively common in Melbourne’s east and has been recorded around Bacchus Marsh, Park Orchards, Bayswater, along the Plenty River in the South Morang area and around the Merri Creek in the Campbellfield to Somerton area.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Pseudonaja textilis - Common Brown Snake 123 **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">This species is widespread over most of Victoria except for the Otways and most of Gippsland. In the Melbourne region it is restricted mostly to the western and northern suburbs. It prefers dry, open habitats. =__**Does anyone know if any of these are endangered??**__=

Kristian, the place to go is the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 - updated regularly [], which lists all the threatened species and habitats in Victoria and the IUCN Red List which lists the world endangered animals. [] = **__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Endangered “Threatened” species of reptile: __**<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> Common Death Added Mallee Worm-lizard (legless lizard) Pink-tailed Worm-lizard Striped Worm-lizard Broad-shelled Tortoise Eastern She-oak Skink Alpine She-oak Skink Striped Legless lizard Leathery Turtle Bardick Swamp Skink Alpione Egernia Heath Skink Alpine Water Skink Corangamite Water Skink Red-naped Snake Millewa Skink Mueller’s Skink Carpet and Diamond Pythons Samphire Skink Alpine Bog Skink Hooded Scaly-foot Beaked Gecko Port Lincoln Snake Lined Earless Dragon Grasslands Earless Dragon Rosenberg’s Goanna Bandy Bandy = = You need to cross reference the possible animals on the Mornington Peninsula with the threatened list to suggest possible threatened species for this site. Field work to describe possible habitats on the school site and then to capture, identify and release individuals would be required. = =__ Fish __= __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Some infomation on some of the fish we have found __ **//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Anguilla Australis //**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> **(Short finned eel)** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">We found this in the dam down near the gym. Mr Simpson said these are really hard to catch because they just go in and eat the fish that have been caught in the trap then they can easily get out again, so we were very lucky to catch it. This type of eel can grow up to 1m in length and weigh up to 3kg. These eels are very common throughout Victoria. If the eel is caught in clear water, they can provide good eating. Smoked eel has been found to be the most appetising. Short-finned eels are usually found where the water is still, for example lakes, swamps and dams, but they can also been found in rivers and streams, or where the water is of lower velocity.

**//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Galaxias Maculatus // <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(Common Galaxias) ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">These fish are commonly 100 mm up to 190 mm in length. The Galaxias is common throughout Victoria. It tolerates a wide range of habitats but has a preference for still or slow moving waters. Able to withstand very high salinities well above that of sea water. This type of fish is not usually good to eat but is generally used for bait to catch different types of fish. Agassiz’s chanda perch Silver Perch Grey nurse shark Great white shark Murray Hardyhead Unspecked hardyhead/non specked hardyhead Yarra pygmy Perch Barred Galaxias/brown galaxias Dwarf galaxias Cox’s Gudgen Empire Gudgen Australian Whitebait/tasmanian whitebait Trout cod Murray cod Macquarie perch Murray Darling Rainbowfish Southern Purple-spotted gudgeon Pale Mangrove Goby Variegated Pygmy Perch\ewens pigmy perch Australian Mudfish Freshwater Herring Australian Grayling Freshwater catfish Southern bluefin tune
 * __Threatened species in victoria and infmation about them__**

**__Agassiz’s chanda perch__** **Habitat** Warm rivers, streams and billabongs and associated waters where there is plenty of weed cover. **Brief Biology** Known to reach 6.5 cm, Carnivorous, taking aquatic insects, and is reported as an avid feeder on mosquito larvae.

**__Silver Perch__** **Habitat** In rivers, large streams, lakes and impoundments, habitat associations range from upland river rapids, to sandy beaches in turbid lowland rivers. Silver perch is one of the only larger native fish to appear near the water surface. **Brief History** This species can grow up to 8 kg and 610 mm, however they more commonly reach 410 mm and 2.5 kg. Silver perch are omnivorous, with algae becoming increasingly important in the diet with age. They undertake long upstream migrations entirely within freshwater.

**__Trout cod –__** **Habitat** Cooler upper reaches of streams, usually in flowing pools between falls and rapids where the stream bottom is bed-rock, boulders and sand or gravel substrates. Larger fish are usually found in the deeper holes, smaller fish beneath and amongst boulders.

**Brief Biology** Trout cod spawn during spring-early summer when water temperatures are about 17-18°C, and are thought to breed at a smaller size than Murray cod. Eggs are adhesive and lay on or near the stream bottom. Diet includes aquatic insects and crustaceans such as yabbies, crayfish and shrimps. They may also leap from the water to take food items just above the surface.

**__Murray cod –__** **Habitat** Occurs most frequently in sluggish, turbid waters, usually in deep holes, where logs and stumps afford cover and provide spawning sites. Will live and breed in lakes if water conditions and habitat are suitable. Occurs naturally in upper reaches of the Murray-Darling system where the water is relatively clear and there is little fallen timber. **Brief Biology** Murray cod can attain 1.8 metres in length and 113.5 kg, and commonly reaches 55-65 cm and weights of 2-5 kg. Usually sexually mature at 4 years of age, growth is rapid in the first 4-5 years, some individual fish reaching 64 cm in the fifth year. Spawning occurs in the spring and summer months in water temperatures between 16 and 21°C. Females can lay up to 40,000 eggs which are deposited in hollow logs or shallow water. Eggs hatch 6 to 13 days later, with juvenile fish feeding freely about 3-4 weeks later. Carnivorous, taking a wide variety of food from molluscs and crustaceans to many species of fish, and occasionally water birds such as ducks.

**__Macquarie perch –__** **Habitat** Naturally a riverine fish, preferring deep holes. Cool, upper reaches of Victorian tributaries of the Murray-Darling system. Does well in impoundments with suitable spawning streams (Victoria's best population is in Lake Dartmouth where this large lake is fed by suitable shallow spawning streams including the Mitta Mitta River). **Brief Biology** Can attain a weight of 3.5 kg, but more commonly in Victoria at a length of 35-40 cm and weights of 750 g-1 kg. Males can mature at 2 years of age and up to 21 cm; females at 3 years of age and up to 30 cm, although local conditions may induce the species to breed at smaller or larger sizes. Females of 30 cm or larger may produce between 50,000 and 110,000 eggs. Spawning usually occurs during spring or summer (October-January) with water temperatures between 16 and 22°C. Breeding occurs in flowing water where there are rock or gravel substrates. Eggs hatch after 10 to 18 days. Growth can be rapid, a five-year-old fish being 38 cm. Fish of 10 years of age have been collected. Carnivorous, taking its food by a sucking motion, principal diet items being aquatic insects with some crustaceans and molluscs.

**__Australian Grayling –__** **Habitat** River and streams with a cool, clear, moderate flow, with a gravel substrate and alternating pools and riffles. **Brief Biology** Known to reach 33cm in length, most common at 17-19cm. Believed to be omnivorous, taking insect larvae of various types, small crustaceans, and plant material. Matures sexually at 1-2 years of age and 15cm, females appear to mature after 2 years in fresh water, producing an average of 47,000 eggs. Complete life-cycle is not known, but current view is that spawning takes place in the freshwater mid-reaches of streams during late April-early May. Eggs are scattered over the substrate and newly hatched larvae are presumed to be swept downstream to brackish water where they remain for about 6 months. Newly-hatched fish are known to react strongly to light, preferring shady areas. During November juveniles ascend to the mid-reaches of the river where they spend the rest of their lives. Evidence indicates that the majority of grayling die before or during their third year.

**__Freshwater catfish__****-** **Habitat** Variety of habitats, including lakes, rivers, creeks and billabongs, usually in sluggish or still water. Inhabits and spawns in flowing streams. Freshwater catfish prefer areas of sluggish or still water out of the current of the main channel. They are found in weedy areas on mud substrate and live and feed on the substrate. The adults are usually solitary fish whereas juveniles form loose schools. They appear to be sedentary fish with very limited movement along the river. They are most active at night. **Brief Biology** Recorded to 90 cm in length and 6.8 kg in weight, individuals above 2 kg are uncommon. Essentially carnivorous bottom feeders, capable of exploiting a wide range of food sources. Crustaceans are the most important dietary item, followed by insects, snails and small fish. Water temperature between 20 and 24°C is considered the primary stimulus for spawning. Spawning involves construction of nests in sand or gravel by the male fish. If the nest is exposed by a drop in water level, another nest is built. If several nests are built and abandoned because of fluctuating water, spawning will not occur. Females deposit eggs, leaving the male to fan, clean and guard the nest for up to 2 weeks, although eggs usually hatch within 7 days. Nests have been observed to be used for several consecutive years, whether by the same or different pairs of fish is not known.

**__Barred Galaxias/brown galaxias –__** **Habitat** Small, shallow, gravel bottomed streams in mountainous areas, not yet colonised by trout. //G. fuscus// occupies an identical position in the stream ecology to small trout and is not found in waters that contain this introduced species. Trout directly compete with this species for living space and food. Prior to work by Victorian fisheries to construct barriers to upstream migration of trout (into waters inhabited with //fuscus//), surveys showed that the streams could be divided into three distinct zones. At the downstream end the streams held trout and no //G. fuscus//. At the upstream ends there were sections with //fuscus// and no trout. Between these two extremes was an "interface zone" where, as you moved higher in the stream to areas where less and less trout had so far penetrated, there were progressively more //fuscus//. Examination of the gut contents of trout from this zone found that //G. fuscus// were being heavily predated. Clearly, as the trout were migrating into these areas, they were exterminating the galaxias

**__ Murray Hardyhead – __** ** Habitat ** Variety of habitats including slow-flowing lowland streams, lakes, billabongs and swamps, most frequently in weedy areas or over gravel bottoms. ** Brief Biology ** Known to exceed 9 cm, but most commonly found up to 7 cm. Can withstand a wide range of salinities, up to 100,000 p.p.m., or three times that of sea-water. Little is known of the life cycle, but ripe females have been collected from January to March. Believed to be omnivorous, taking both invertebrates and plant material.

**__ Unspecked hardyhead/non specked hardyhead __** ** Habitat ** Found in a wide variety of habitats, including lagoons, swamps, lakes and slow-flowing reaches of river and creeks, usually in shallow, vegetated areas, but it may congregate where streams flow into still water. ** Brief Biology ** Known to reach 10 cm. Able to adapt to water temperatures from 9 to 28oC, and salinities between 3,000 and 9,000 p.p.m. Breeding season, from October to mid February. Eggs are laid at random over rocks, crevices and gravel.

**__Yarra pygmy Perch__** – ** Habitat ** Frequents weedy slow-flowing or still waters such as lakes, dams, billabongs and irrigation channels, or the slow-flowing areas of stream edges where aquatic vegetation is present in small creeks and backwaters of larger rivers. ** Brief Biology ** Known to attain more than 8 cm, it seldom exceeds 6.5 cm. Breeding season is September-October when water temperatures reach 16 to 21oC. Females can lay between 500 and 4,000 eggs, which are scattered randomly over the bottom, adhering to rocks and vegetation. Observation suggest that females may spawn several times during a season. Males defend territory in which eggs are laid. Carnivorous, with major dietary items being insect larvae and small crustaceans.

**__ Dwarf galaxias – __** It is a brilliantly coloured fish during the spawning period in particular and has an elaborate and fascinating spawning behaviour. It occurs only in waters south of the Divide and west of Lakes Entrance and occurs in at least 8 creeks on Mornington Peninsula. Adults reach 40 mm in length and prefer still water, often less than 30 cm deep with abundant aquatic vegetation. Juvenile fish congregate in schools of about 20 fish on the surface of pools.

At spawning time the female only lays a few (10) eggs each day for up to two weeks placing each egg carefully on vegetation. Populations can survive in areas that partially or completely dry up during summer. It appears likely that they can bury themselves beneath rocks or logs as the water recedes and survive until water level rises again. This process is called aestivation.

They can also travel overland between swamps and ponds providing there is a thin layer of moving water at least 2mm deep. This explains why they occur in swamps or isolated ponds, some distance from rivers. Their survival depends on retaining areas of shallow, still water. They are most common in the La Trobe River Basin, Bunyip River Basin and the upper reaches of the Glenelg River Basin.

**__ Cox’s gudgeon – __** ** Habitat ** Appear to be more abundant in flowing waters, including rapids. Adults are not often found in lower reaches of streams, but individuals have been found upstream at altitudes of 700m. ** Brief Biology ** Can reach 19 cm in length, but most common to 15 cm. Spawning involves laying eggs on rocks, with the male fish remaining on guard and fanning the eggs, which hatch after only a few days. As large numbers of juveniles are found in middle and lower reaches of streams it is thought that young fish are washed downstream to later migrate upstream. Carnivorous, feeding mainly on small aquatic insects including mosquito larvae.

**__ Southern Purple-spotted gudgeon – __** ** Habitat ** Most frequently found in slow-flowing or still waters including rivers, creeks and billabongs, near cover such as rocks, logs and aquatic plants. ** Brief Biology ** Known to reach 14 cm, but most commonly found to 7 cm. Spawning season is between December and February, with the eggs being laid in a single cluster on a solid substrate, sometimes very close to the water surface on the underside of floating vegetation. Females produce between 300 and 1,300 eggs which the male guards and fans. Individual females may spawn several times over a season. Carnivorous; diet includes worms, insect larvae, small crustaceans and mosquito fish.

**__ Pale Mangrove Goby – __** ** Habitat ** Normally found in mangroves or holes in sea grass areas, sometimes entering freshwater. ** Brief Biology ** A hardy species able to tolerate high water temperatures and a wide salinity range. Grows to a length of 6 cm. **__ Variegated Pygmy Perch\ewens pigmy perch – __** ** Habitat ** Small shallow creeks, fast flowing with abundant aquatic vegetation. Seems to have a preference for well-oxygenated streams. ** Brief Biology ** As for //Nannoperca australis//. Maximum size 7 cm, little is yet known of its biology.