Download Murray hardyhead - NSW Department of Primary Industries

MAY 2008
PRIMEFACT 180
Threatened species in NSW
Murray hardyhead
Craterocephalus fluviatilis
silver, and the top of the head and snout are
slightly darker. The scales are almost circular,
and barely overlap.
Murray hardyhead are similar in appearance to
several other closely related species. Small
individuals of any of these species can
sometimes also be mistaken for southern smelts
or eastern gambusia.
Illustration by Jack Hannan
Threatened Species Unit
Fisheries Conservation and Aquaculture Branch,
Port Stephens Fisheries Centre
Introduction
Murray hardyhead is a species of small
freshwater fish, native to inland parts of southeastern Australia. They were once widespread
and abundant in the Murray and Murrumbidgee
river systems in southern NSW and northern
Victoria; however, they have suffered a serious
population decline, and now seem to be limited to
a few sites, mainly in northern Victoria. There are
very few recent records of Murray hardyhead in
NSW.
Murray hardyhead was listed as an endangered
species in January 2001; however, in 2007 the
Fisheries Scientific Committee reviewed the
conservation status of the species and
subsequently upgraded it to a critically
endangered species in NSW. There are heavy
penalties for harming, possessing, buying or
selling them, or for harming their habitat (see
‘Legal implications’).
Habitat and ecology
• Murray hardyhead live along the edges of
slow-flowing lowland rivers, as well as in lakes,
billabongs and backwaters. They are often
found amongst aquatic weeds, in both fresh
and quite saline waters.
• They probably feed on aquatic insects and
crustaceans, and possibly also some plant
material.
• Spawning occurs in the warmer months, from
about October to February. The eggs are
randomly dispersed amongst aquatic
vegetation.
Why are Murray hardyheads threatened?
• Habitat degradation, including loss of aquatic
vegetation and sedimentation of stream beds.
• Spawning failures, due to cold water releases
from dams.
• Predation by and competition with introduced
fish, such as redfin perch and gambusia.
• Construction of weirs, dams and other barriers
to fish passage, which have fragmented
populations and prevented the recolonisation
of certain areas.
Conservation and recovery actions
Description
Murray hardyhead grow to about 72 mm in
length. They range from silver to dark gold in
colour, with a pale silvery belly and a silver midlateral stripe. Their eyes and gill covers are bright
• Conserve and restore aquatic and riparian
(riverbank) vegetation, and use effective
sediment control measures.
• Work with other agencies to allocate
environmental water flows in regulated rivers
to restore natural seasonal flow patterns and
to reduce the impacts of cold water pollution
downstream of dams.
• Develop and implement control programs for
introduced pest species.
• Construct fishways and remove redundant
weirs to improve fish passage.
• Implement the Protected, Threatened and Pest
Species Sighting Program: Report any
sightings of the species on the NSW DPI
24-hour automated message-taking service
by calling (02) 4916 3877.
Legal implications
It is illegal to catch and keep, buy, sell, possess
or harm Murray hardhead (or any other
threatened species in NSW) without a specific
permit, licence or other appropriate approval.
Significant penalties apply. For critically
endangered species, these penalties can include
fines of up to $220,000 and up to 2 years in
prison.
There can also be significant penalties for
causing damage to the habitat of a threatened
species without approval, through actions such
as dredging riverbeds, removing large woody
debris and constructing barriers that block the
free passage of fish.
Clearing activities authorised by property
vegetation plans approved under the Native
Vegetation Act 2003 are permitted, provided the
native vegetation reform package had the benefit
of biodiversity certification at the time the
property vegetation plan was approved.
Clearing that constitutes a routine agricultural
management activity is permitted, as are certain
routine agricultural activities other than clearing –
provided the activities are to the minimum extent
reasonably necessary, and all other relevant
statutory approvals or authorities have been
obtained.
The impact of developments or activities that
require consent or approval (in accordance with
the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act
1979) must be assessed and considered by
consent or determining authorities. Where such
actions are likely to result in a significant impact
on a threatened species or its habitat, a detailed
species impact statement must be prepared.
Strategies to be adopted for promoting the
recovery of Murray hardyhead must be set out in
the NSW DPI Priorities Action Statement.
A recovery plan may be prepared for the species,
in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries
Management Act 1994, to promote the recovery
of the species.
Bibliography and further reading
Crowley, LELM and Ivantsoff, W 1990, A review of
species previously known as Craterocephalus
eyresii (Pisces: Atherinidae), Proceedings of the
Linnean Society of New South Wales 112(2): pp.
87-103.
Fisheries Scientific Committee 2007, Final
Determination, Craterocephalus fluviatilis Murray
hardyhead.
Ivantsoff, W and Crowley, LELM 1996, Family
Atherinidae: Silversides or hardyheads, Pp. 123133 in McDowall RM. (ed.), Freshwater Fishes of
South-Eastern Australia (second edition), Reed
Books, Sydney, pp. 247.
Llewellyn, LC 1979, Some observations on the
spawning and development of the Mitchellian
freshwater hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis
McCulloch from inland waters in New South
Wales, Australian Zoologist 20: pp. 269-288.
For further information
Phone the Fisheries Information and Advisory
Line: 1300 550 474.
For more information on general fishing
regulations check with your local fisheries office
or the NSW Department of Primary Industries
website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au
NSW DPI Threatened Species Unit
Port Stephens Fisheries Centre
Locked Bag 1
Nelson Bay NSW 2315
Fax (02) 4916 3880
Email [email protected]
© State of New South Wales through NSW Department of
Primary Industries 2008. You may copy, distribute and
otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose,
provided that you attribute NSW Department of Primary
Industries as the owner.
ISSN 1832-6668
Check for updates of this Primefact at:
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/primefacts
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is
based on knowledge and understanding at the time of
writing (May 2008). However, because of advances in
knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that
information upon which they rely is up to date and to check
currency of the information with the appropriate officer of
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries or the
user’s independent adviser.
Job number 6553
PRIMEFACT 180, MURR AY H ARDYHEAD
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