Conserving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia A project funded by : Suggested citation: Beatty, S., Close, P., Morgan, D., Allen, M., & Lawrence, C. (2015). Con- A summary of serving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia: distribution, migration, critical habitats and threats to the region’s most endangered freshwater fishes. A report for the State Natural Resource Management Office, Western Australia. Project No. 12035 Published by: Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research, Murdoch University Design & Graphics: David Morgan, Mark Allen, Stephen Beatty & Paul Close Photographs and artwork: All photographs and artwork is copyright of the authors, unless otherwise stated Email: [email protected] http://http://www.endangeredfishesofsouth-westernaustralia.com/ Conserving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia Province of Western Australia is declining. Over the last few decades, there has been a growing body of evidence that has suggested that the inland fish fauna of the Southwestern CRITICALLY ENDANGERED freshwater Since the turn of the Century, twoGalaxias of the region’s truttaceus freshwater hesperius fish species have been listed under the Federal Government’s Environment VULNERABLEand Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBCNannatherina Act 1999); one balstoni laying claim to being Australia’s first fish, the Western Trout Minnow ( ), which was listed in 2006. The other species, also listed in 2006 as , is Balston’s Pygmy Perch ( ), a rare species with a restricted distribution. Nannoperca pygmaea Surprisingly, in 2013, the significant discovery of a previously undetected fish species was made. , the Little Pygmy Perch ( ). This species was only known from a single river system and, at the time of its discovery, was regarded as one of Australia’s rarest freshwater fishes. The Southwestern Province has the highest proportion of endemic fishes on the continent, and in 2012 as an initiative of the Western Australian Government’s State Natural Resource Manangement Program, with joint funding from the Western Australian and Austalian Governments, a project arose that aimed to gather the information required to conserve these unique species. The project partners include the Department of Fisheries, Murdoch University (Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit), University westof Western Western Ausralia Australia. (Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management), Department of Water, Department of Parks and Wildlife, South West Catchments Council, South Coast NRM, Blackwood Basin Group, Denmark Environment Centre and the communities of south Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the State Government of Western Australia. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the authors and their respective institutions do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance upon, the contents of this publication. Conserving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia: A summary of distribution, migration, critical habitats and threats to the region’s most endangered freshwater fishes A report for the State Natural ProjectResource No. Management 12035 Office, Western Australia. Project Proponents Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, The University of Western Australia, Albany, WA 6330, Australia CopyrightWestern Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Fisheries, Hillarys, WA 6025, Australia This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, by any process, without written permission from the publisher, Enquiries should be made to the project proponents. Foreword RESEARCH SETTING MURDOCH UNIVERSITY is uniquely situ- ated in Western Australia’s capial city, PERTH, The south-west of Western Australia has the highest proportion of and is on the door-step of Asia and the eastern endemic freshwater fishes in the continent, with over 80% found nowhere else. The need to conserve these unique species has driven edge of the Indian Ocean. this project, which represents one of the largest ever undertaken on freshwater fishes in this region. Based on newly established and MURDOCH is recognised as one of Austral- existing collaborations between researchers, managers and community, ia’s leading research institutions with over this three year project has provided exciting new information and knowledge relating to the distribution and ecology of three of the two-thirds of our research being recognised regions most endangered freshwater fishes: Western Trout Minnow, as at world standard or better by independant Balston’s Pygmy Perch and Little Pygmy Perch. assessors in the Australian Research Council This report presents the key findings of the research including up-to- Excelence in Research Assessment (ERA) and date species distributions and new knowledge of the critical processes was recognosed as one being in the top five per and requirements that support viable populations, such as migration, cent of universities globally in the 2012-2013 critical habitat, spawning and recruitment. QS World University’s World Rankings. The south-west faces a number of future challenges, including climate and land use changes that directly impact on river ecosystems and The Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research has their fauna. The compilation of knowledge presented here, provides new opportunities to manage and prepare for these challenges. It excellent facilites with .............dj alsoAustralia. highlights the value and need for continued monitoring, research and management of freshwater ecosystems in this unique corner of 1 2 1 Stephen1Freshwater Beatty Fish, GroupPaul Close & Fish and Health David Unit, Morgan Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research, Murdoch University 2Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, The University of Western Australia 4 Conserving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia 5 Project Participants Node Leaders Steering Committee Stephen Beatty (Little Pygmy Perch) Craig Lawrence (Project Leader, Department of Fisheries) Paul Close (Western Trout Minnow) Bradley Barton (Department of Parks and Wildlife) ProjectDavid Morgan Staff (Balston’s Pygmy Perch) Stephen Beatty (Murdoch University) Paul Close (University of Western Australia) Dylan Gleave (South Coast NRM) Adrian Goodreid (Department of Water) Mark Allen (Murdoch University) David Morgan (Murdoch University) Joslyn Berkelaar (University of Western Australia) Amy Mutton (Department of Parks and Wildlife) James Keleher (Murdoch University) Michael Snow (Department of Fisheries) Jason Ledger (Department of Fisheries) Debra Thomas (Department of Fisheries) Judy Maughan (University of Western Australia) Deon Utber (Department of Parks and Wildlife) Harriet Paterson (University of Western Australia) Tom Ryan (Murdoch University/University of Western Australia) 6 Conserving freshwater fish in south-west Western Australia 7 Fishes of Australia’s Unfortunately, a number of these species are now Southwestern Province threatened and populations are declining in both abundance and distribution, principally due to declining water quality (particularly secondary salinisation), loss of habitat (large scale land The Southwestern Province of Australia clearing), water extraction, river regulation and encompasses all of the inland water bodies between threats from introduced species. More recently, the Arrowsmith River (south of Dongara) and the climate change has become a significant threat to the Thomas River (to the east of Esperance). It is one aquaticgroundwater fauna occuringof south-west across Western the region Australia since the with of Western Australia’s five ichthyological provinces significant declines in rainfall, surface flow and fresh andare found is one nowhere of the most else unique in the onworld, the continent.and the fauna Over 80% of the freshwater fish species in this region mid-1970s. includes some species of global significance. The need for conservation Theearly Salamanderfish divergent lineage is one within of the teleost world’s evolution, most unusual fishes and is the sole representative of an While there has been an increase in our understanding of the ecology and threats faced with estimates putting its mean age of divergence at about 230 million years ago. Recent studies have also suggested that Freshwater Cobbler,Tandanus the , by this unique fauna, critical knowledge gaps largest native freshwater fish in the south west, remain. This has hampered the development and haswhich been is one incorrectly of the earliest placed branching in the genus lineages implementationand the habitats ofcritical management for their strategiessurvival. to and actually represents an undescribed genus conserve and protect these important populations of the freshwater eel-tailed catfishes. These two species represent unusual and ancient lineages that In 2012, the Western Australian Government’s State have persisted in the Southwestern Province and NRM funded this three year project in response to