NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries Research Report Series: 12 Descriptions of the wildlife species that commonly occur in the marine and estuarine waters of NSW by Carla Ganassin and Philip Gibbs November 2005 ISSN 1449-9959 NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries Research Report Series: 12 Descriptions of the wildlife species that commonly occur in the marine and estuarine waters of NSW by Carla Ganassin and Philip Gibbs November 2005 ISSN 1449-9959 NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries Research Report Series This series presents scientific and technical information on general fisheries research and the documents in the series are intended to be progress reports on ongoing investigations. Titles in this series may be cited as publications, with the correct citation on the front cover. Fisheries Research in New South Wales Fisheries research activities in the NSW Department of Primary Industries are based at various centres throughout the state. The studies conducted cover commercial and recreational fisheries and aquaculture, and conservation issues in coastal and riverine areas. The major role of the research is to provide information upon which relevant fisheries management policies and strategies are developed, monitored and assessed in terms of the Department’s obligations under the NSW Fisheries Management Act, 1994. Title: Descriptions of the wildlife species that commonly occur in the marine and estuarine waters of NSW Authors: Carla Ganassin and Philip Gibbs Published By: NSW Department of Primary Industries (now incorporating NSW Fisheries) Postal Address: PO Box 21, Cronulla, NSW, 2230 Internet: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au NSW Department of Primary Industries This work is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this reproduction may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. DISCLAIMER The publishers do not warrant that the information in this report is free from errors or omissions. The publishers do not accept any form of liability, be it contractual, tortuous or otherwise, for the contents of this report for any consequences arising from its use or any reliance placed on it. The information, opinions and advice contained in this report may not relate to, or be relevant to, a reader’s particular circumstance. ISSN 1449-9959 [Note: Prior to July 2004, this report series was published as the ‘NSW Fisheries Resource Assessment Report Series’ with ISSN number 1440-057X] Description of wildlife species that commonly occur in marine & estuarine waters in NSW TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................ 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................ 5 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................. 7 2. MAMMALS........................................................................................................................................ 8 2.1. Cetaceans ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.1.1. Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus).............................................................................8 2.1.2. Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).....................................................................8 2.1.3. Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) ........................................................9 2.1.4. Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) ...................................................................10 2.1.5. Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)......................................................................10 2.1.6. Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) ........................................................11 2.1.7. False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)................................................................11 2.1.8. Killer whale (Orcinus orca)......................................................................................12 2.1.9. Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhyncus) ..........................................13 2.1.10. Arnoux’s beaked whale (Berardius arnuxii) ............................................................13 2.1.11. Strap-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon layardii).................................................14 2.1.12. Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)...................................................................14 2.1.13. Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) ....................................................................15 2.1.14. Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) .............................................................15 2.1.15. Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)..............................................................16 2.1.16. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) .......................................................................17 2.1.17. Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)...........................................................18 2.2. Pinnipeds.......................................................................................................................20 2.2.1. New Zealand fur-seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).........................................................20 2.2.2. Australian fur-seal (Arctocephalus pusillus).............................................................21 2.3. Sirenians .......................................................................................................................22 2.3.1. Dugong (Dugong dugon)..........................................................................................22 3. REPTILES........................................................................................................................................ 23 3.1. Turtles ........................................................................................................................... 23 3.1.1. Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)..................................................................................23 3.1.2. Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)..........................................................................23 3.1.3. Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)...............................................................24 3.1.4. Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)..............................................................25 3.2. Snakes ........................................................................................................................... 26 3.2.1. Yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus)............................................................26 4. BIRDS.............................................................................................................................................. 27 4.1. Avifauna........................................................................................................................27 4.1.1. Musk duck (Biziura lobata)......................................................................................27 4.1.2. Black swan (Cygnus atratus) ....................................................................................27 4.1.3. Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) .............................................................28 4.1.4. Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa).....................................................................28 4.1.5. Grey teal (Anas gracilis)...........................................................................................28 4.1.6. Chestnut teal (Anas castanea)...................................................................................29 NSW DPI - Fisheries Research Report Series: No. 12 1 Description of wildlife species that commonly occur in marine & estuarine waters in NSW 4.1.7. Hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)................................................ 29 4.1.8. Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) .................................................................. 30 4.1.9. Little penguin (Eudyptula minor)............................................................................. 30 4.1.10. Southern giant-petrel (Macronectes giganteus)........................................................ 31 4.1.11. Northern giant-petrel (Macronectes halli)................................................................ 31 4.1.12. Cape petrel (Daption capense) ................................................................................. 32 4.1.13. Great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera)........................................................ 32 4.1.14. Providence petrel (Pterodroma solandri)................................................................. 33 4.1.15. Kermadec petrel (Pterodroma neglecta) .................................................................. 33 4.1.16. White-necked petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) .......................................................... 34 4.1.17. Black-winged petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis)........................................................ 34 4.1.18. Gould’s petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera) ................................................ 35 4.1.19. Antarctic prion