VICNEWS Number 109 August 2014 ANGFA Victoria Inc. is a regional group member of AUSTRALIA NEW GUINEA FISHES ASSOCIATION INC. Published by ANGFA Victoria Inc. PO Box 298, Chirnside Park Vic. 3116 Visit us at: www.angfavic.org and on Facebook Unravelling the Galaxias olidus species complex with Tarmo Raadik, our August meeting guest presenter Photo above: A fast flowing, pristine creek in the upper catch - ment zone of a Victorian high country river. These types of creeks are the natural habitat of upland galaxiids in the Mountain Galaxias (Galaxias olidus) species complex, with some species widespread and others confined to single, small catch - ments. This type of waterfall is often the key reason why the species survive, as their main predators, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout, are unable to move further upstream. Many of the restricted species are also under a high risk of extinction from instream sedimentation following increasingly frequent wild fire. Photo: Tarmo Raadik Photo to right: Galaxias fuscus . Photo: Tarmo Raadik VICNEWS August 2013 PAGE 1 environments, including fish passage assessment and fish - way monitoring, environmental flow determinations, fauna assessments in degraded, pristine and remote locations, and alien species control. In particular, Tarmo has a long involvement with the compilation and management of aquatic fauna survey data, undertaking the first compilation of Victorian data in 1986, which he then continued while at the Department of Ichthyology, Museum Victoria, and later when he joined the Arthur Rylah Institute. This data compilation became the basis the new Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA). Tarmo holds the roles of Taxon Manager and Data Expert Reviewer for Aquatic Fauna (fish, freshwater decapod crus - tacea and molluscs) for the VBA, and is relied upon by ARI staff and external clients for his knowledge of current tax - onomy and historical and contemporary aquatic fauna dis - tributions. Tarmo has also worked extensively in the area of threatened fauna management, particularly on freshwater and estuarine fish and freshwater decapod species. These projects incorporate all areas of conservation management, from verifying the status of declining taxa (population abundance, distribution), defining the issues/threats and potential management actions, to undertaking specific Tarmo Raadik, Senior Research Scientist - Arthur Rylah Institute recovery actions. for Environmental Research, Department of Environment and Tarmo has written over 80 scientific publications Primary Industries, Victoria & Research Associate, Department of and recently completed a PhD on the systematic revision of Ichthyology, Museum Victoria, Melbourne. a freshwater native fish species complex in south-eastern Photographer: unknown Australia. Tarmo took too long to finish his PhD (11 years!). Tarmo is an experienced aquatic biologist and tax - But now that he has resurfaced and feels human again he onomist with 25 years’ experience in the management and will present an overview of this important work, and as a biological research of aquatic fauna. perfect adjunct, also discuss conservation management of He is well respected for his extensive knowledge Barred Galaxias and many of his new species of Galaxias on alien and native aquatic fauna distribution in south-east - which are on the edge of extinction. ern Australia and specialist skills in freshwater and estuar - ine aquatic fauna community sampling, taxonomy, biology, Title of presentation: conservation, monitoring, and alien species, with emphasis Unravelling the mountain galaxias ( Galaxias on fish, decapod crustaceans and bivalve molluscs. olidus ) species complex and 20 years of conservation man - He has sampled extensively in Victoria, and more agement of upland galaxiids - oh why did I even start? broadly in south-eastern Australia, and planned and con - ducted many large and small ecological research, assess - ment and monitoring projects in both riverine and lentic A new species of Galaxias from the Dargo River catchment Photo: Tarmo Raadik VICNEWS August 2013 PAGE 2 President’s Report Contents August 2014 Pgs. 1-2 Tarmo Raadik on Galaxia olidus Welcome to another great edition Pg. 3 President’s Report of Vic News. Pg. 3 Letter from the editor Looking back over the last nine months we have had many highlights Pg. 4 Glenn Briggs on Rhadinocentrus in particular the biannual national ornatus ANGFA convention that we hosted Pgs. 5 -7 The Amazon Waterlily Pavillion here in Victoria last October. The con - Pgs. 8 -9 Euastacus yarraensis The Yarra River vention was well attended, and as you will remember featured a range Spiny Crayfish of high caliber speakers both national and international. Pg. 9 Upcoming field trips in Victoria Each and every meeting we have held this finan - Pg. 10 ANGFA Vic at the EDAS fish fair cial year has been memorable. We have had great presen - Pg. 10 ANGFA Vic on Facebook tations from well-known speakers from Victoria; Dianne Bray from the Victorian Museum and Kathryn Hassle and Pgs. 11-12 Reminder for the upcoming combined the Kimberley Guys from Melbourne University. We have clubs field trip to Coffs Harbour also had great speakers from interstate; Glynn Aland on Pg 13 Businesses who support ANGFA Vic his travels to the Torres Strait and Keith Martin from Exotic Aquatic- Caulfield Cairns on discovering new fishes from that area. We continue this rich vein of speakers in our Pg. 14 ANGFA VIC Key Contacts August meeting and are very proud to finally present Pg. 15 ANGFA subscription details Tarmo Raadik speaking on “unraveling the Galaxias Pg. 15 Businesses that support ANGFA VIC olidus complex”, the subject of his last 11 years work. I would like to thank those wonderful sponsors who have supported us through out the last financial Letter from the editor year, Amazing Amazon, Aqua green, Aquariums by Design, Coburg Aquarium, Subscape Aquarium, Upmarket Aquarium and Exotic Aquatic. If you ever need anything for your tank or your fish please go and support one of In this edition of VICNews we these shops and let them know you are an Angfa mem - announce that Tarmo Raadik, who has ber. finally finished his thesis, is actually I would also like to thank those members who going to speak at our August meeting. have very kindly donated fish to the club. We have run a We have been trying to get him to mini auction of rare and hard to get Aussie natives almost speak for years but he has been too every meeting raising valuable funds for the club. Thank busy to commit. This is very exciting you to Glenn Briggs, Dave Wilson, Phil Littlejohn, Gary and if anyone has seen Tarmo speak in Moores, Doug McColl, Bruce Hansen and Steve and the past they will know how thorough, Aimee Brooks. detailed and extremely informative his presentations are. I would now like to thank our excellent commit - This is a not-to-be-missed talk from one of our most qual - tee and helpers, who have all contributed to running this ified fish scientists. club over the last financial year. We have all been work - As a gentle segway to our combined clubs field ing hard to bring you a great range of speakers with a trip to Coffs Harbour in October 2014, a known location great range of topics. Thank you, in no particular order, of Rhadinocentrus ornatus, Glenn Briggs will give the Gary Moores, John Cousins, John Lenagan, Greg Martin, pre-Tarmo mini talk on keeping these wondeful fish. Glenn Briggs, Lyndon Giles, Paul Byham, Tony Tucceri, There is an article in this edition on the incredi - Eddie Tootle, Neil Armstrong, Ken Smales and Ron ble Victoria amazonica waterlily pavillion at the Adelaide Bowman. Of course this would not be possible without Botanic Garden. For anyone interested in aquatic plants the support of their families who allow them to put so or even blissfully humid hot houses, I can recommend much energy into this club. visiting this unique display. By the way, there are Lastly, our ANGFA Vic facebook page has been Rainbowfish kept in the waterlily pond. completely rejuvenated by Paul Byham with images from The charismatic Euastacus yarraensis , the Yarra John Lenagan. Checkout the screenshot sample on page River Spiny Crayfish, gets an article, both to promote this 10 of this edition of VICNews. type of animal as an interesting aquarium subject, and to Unfortunately I will not be at the meeting, how - illustrate what is likely to be seen on a field trip we are ever I do hope that you come along and enjoy your self planning to run as soon as the creeks are safe enough to and catch up with other like-minded people and friends. dipnet in. Cheers Kwai. Greg Martin VICNEWS August 2014 PAGE 3 Our August meeting mini talk from Glenn Briggs Keeping and collecting Rhadinocentrus ornatus The beautiful Ornate Rainbow Rhadinocentrus Photo above: This stunning Rhadinocentrus ornatus is from ornatus (aka Rhad) is the subject of our August meeting Carland Creek, at the southern tip of Tin Can Bay, SE mini-talk. Queensland. Photo: Neil Armstrong In Glenn’s presentation he’ll talk about keeping Ornate Rainbowfish with some examples of the geograph - ic variations which can be found in the wild. Glenn will also show us various typical Rhadinocentrus ornatus Photo below: This lagoon on Bribie Island is an example of habitats, no doubt with “stories from the field”. typical Rhadinocentrus habitat . Photo: Glenn Briggs VICNEWS August 2014 PAGE 4 The Amazon Waterlily Pavillion Adelaide Botanic Garden The new Waterlily Pavillion is built on the site of the original Victoria House and features an elegant, energy efficiant design. By Greg Martin For anyone travelling to gorgeous Adelaide, a visit to the Adelaide Botanic Garden is a must; specifically to see the Amazon Waterlily Pavillion. In 1868 the second director of the Botanic Garden, Dr Richard Schomburgk, built a glasshouse (see photo below) to house what was back then one of the first cultivated displays in the world of this amazing waterlily.