Native+Freshwater+Fish

We had a visit today from Annette (Full time Ranger) and Kwai (Part time Ranger) from Mt. Rothwell Conservation Reserve. Kwai also works at the Werribbee Open Range Zoo (as Annette did prior to taking on the full time position at Mt. Rothwell earlier this year).

Kwai suggested that we investigate what local native freshwater fish already exist in our water course, a tributiary of Watsons Creek, with the intention of releasing endangered fishes.

I've produced a field guide with descriptions and diagrams to aid recognition.

__ Australian Native Freshwater Fishes __

According to the Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia (2002), the following fish may occur within our region. I have placed an asterix besides those that the Water Victoria Environmental Handbook suggested may occur in the Bunyip Basin (our water catchment). I have also highlighted in bold those that Water Victoria believed existed in the Watson Creek catchment when they prepared their document in 1989.

Pouched Lamprey //Geotria australis* Inderterminate// Short-headed Lamprey //Mordacia mordax* Common// **Short-finned Eel //Anguilla australis//**//* Common// Marbled Eel //Anguilla reinhardtii* Common// Australian Grayling //Prototroctes maraena* Vulnerable// Australian Smelt //Retropinna semoni* Common// Tasmanian Mudfish //Galaxias cleaveri// **Common Galaxias or Jollytail //Galaxias maculates//**//* Common// Mountain Galaxias //Galaxias olidus* Common// **Trout Minnow or Spotted Galaxias //Galaxias truttaceus//**//* (Rare and restricted)// Dwarf or Eastern Little Galaxias //Galaxias pusilla* Requires monitoring// Small-mouthed Hardyhead //Atherinosoma microstoma// River Blackfish //Gadopsis marmoratus* Requires monitoring// Southern Pygmy Perch //Nannoperca australis* Common// Yarra Pygmy Perch //Nannoperca obscura Common// Congolli or Tupong //Psuedaphritis urvillii* Common// Striped Gudgeon //Gobiomorphus australis// Flathead Gudgeon //Philypnodon grandiceps// Dwarf Flathead Gudgeon //Philypnodon sp//.

__ Introduced Fish/Pests __ English Perch //Perca fluviatilis*// Goldfish //Carassius auratus*// Mosquito Fish //Gambusia affinis*// Roach //Rutilus rutilus// Carp //Cyprinus carpio// Brown Trout //Salmo trutta// Rainbow Trout //S. gaird//

Trapping through the watercourse and dams will allow us to identify which of these possible species exist at Woodleigh School. Discussion of the extent of pest species and their control and the preservation of local species particularly those that are rare, restricted or vulnerable.

__ References __ Water Victoria (1989) //An Environmental Handbook//, Department of Water Resources Victoria, Melbourne Allen, G.R, Midgley, A.H, & Allen, M (2002) //Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia//, CSIRO, Collingwood