© Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia Full citation Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia: Volume 1 - Bony and Cartilaginous Fishes. Report for the South Australian Working Group for Marine Species of Conservation Concern. J. Baker (consultant); Science and Conservation Division, and Coast and Marine Conservation branches of S.A. Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH); Marine and Coastal Community Network of S.A. (MCCN), and Threatened Species Network (TSN). Web version published by Reef Watch, South Australia.

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Banded Seaperch / Black-banded Seaperch

(c) P. Macdonald

Family Name:	Serranidae
Scientific Name:	Hypoplectrodes nigroruber (Cuvier, 1828) = H. nigrorubrum (Cuvier, 1828)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Included here because (i) the species is a member of the Serranidae, a family of fish whose life history characteristics and habits increase the vulnerability of populations to decline. Serranids are generally slow moving, benthic, reef-associated fish that reproduce as protogynous hermaphrodites, and maintain specific population structures. These characteristics make Serranids vulnerable to capture by a number of fishing methods, and susceptible to other site-specific impacts; (ii) the Black-banded Seaperch is site-associated with shallow subtidal reefs over a relatively narrow depth range, and in some areas, such habitat is vulnerable to site-specific impacts; (iii) there are no data on the relative abundance or population dynamics of this species across the range; (vi) this site-associated reef fish species is fished recreationally; is also a minor part of the bycatch in some commercial fisheries, and is also collected for the aquarium trade, but there are no species-specific catch statistics, and no assessments have been undertaken on the effects of fishing on Black-banded Seaperch populations.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

Banded Seaperch is found across southern Australia, from N.S.W. through to Kalbarri in W.A., and the distribution includes northern Tasmania (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Edgar, 2000; Barrett and Wilcox, 2001).
Edgar et al. (1997) included H. nigroruber in the list of fish species that characterise the Bassian marine province (Bass Strait and northern Tasmania).

South Australia

Within South Australia, the species is known mainly from the west coast and gulfs region. Examples of locations in S.A. from where the Banded Seaperch has been recorded include Thevenard / Ceduna area, and islands in the Investigator Group (eastern Great Australian Bight); Spencer Gulf (e.g. Port Lincoln area, Cowell / Franklin Harbour area, Port Hughes, Moonta); Gambier islands south of Spencer Gulf (e.g. North I.); northern Kangaroo I. (e.g. Cape Torrens, Cape Forbin, Emu Bay, Seal Beach, Cape Cassini, Hogg Point); north-eastern Kangaroo I. (e.g. Snapper Point, Cable Bay, Penneshaw); Investigator Strait (e.g. off Point Marsden); south-western Gulf St Vincent (Troubridge Point, Troubridge I., Edithburgh Jetty); Fleurieu Peninsula (Cape Jervis, Rapid Bay Jetty), and eastern Gulf St Vincent (e.g. Aldinga, Port Noarlunga Reef, Lumb Wreck; Seacliff Reef; Glenelg Barge and Dredge, Grange Tyre Reef) (Kuiter, 1982; Branden et al., 1986 and 1994; MLSSA, 1999a; Anonymous, 2001a; K. Smith, unpubl. data, 2001 - 2006; Reynolds, 2002; Edgar et al., 2006; South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2008).

Habitat

The species is considered to be common on coastal reefs in southern Australia, found out in the open and also in caves and under ledges (Hutchins and Thompson, 2001).
Kuiter (1996a) reported that the species occurs “at the shallow coastal end of estuarine reefs, to offshore in at least 30m depth”. Similarly, Edgar (2000) reported that Banded Seaperch occurs in sheltered and moderately exposed reef areas, usually between 3m and 35m.
As indicated above in the section on Distribution, Banded Seaperch has been recorded on a number of artificial reefs as well as natural reefs. Examples of artificial habitats include the Grange Tyre Reef, Glenelg Barge and Dredge, the Lumb Wreck off Port Noarlunga, and the Rapid Bay Jetty (MLSSA, 1999a; K. Smith, unpubl. data, 2001, 2002).
Banded Seaperch is a site-associated species that is usually seen sitting on the bottom, in areas with rocks, holes or other cover (K. Smith, pers. comm., 2006).

Notes on Biology and Behaviour

Age and Growth

Banded Seaperch grows to around 28cm (Hutchins and Thompson, 2001) or 30cm (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
One of the maximum sizes recorded is 0.50kg (Hutchins and Thompson, 2001), being a specimen taken by spearfishing in N.S.W., in 1979 (Australian Underwater Federation Inc., 2003). Another record is 0.41kg, taken at Shellharbour in N.S.W., in 1993 (New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, 2004). 

Diet

The species feeds on small fishes (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Behaviour

The Banded Seaperch is a solitary species (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994). The species often rests on the substrate, perched on its pectoral and ventral fins (Kuiter, 1996a). 

Reproduction

Most species in the Serranidae are protogynous hermaphrodites, as are most members of the sub-family Anthiinae (to which Hypoplectrodes belongs) (P. Heemstra, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, pers. comm., 2006). Protogynous hermaphrodites first mature as females and, after spawning one or more times, they will then change sex, spawning thereafter as males (Heemstra and Randall, 1999).

Fisheries Information

Commercial

Banded Seaperch H. nigroruber is reported to be a minor part of the bycatch in the South East Non-Trawl Fishery (Knuckey et al., 2001); however, it is noted that the commonly published depth limit of H. nigroruber is in shallower water than the normal operation of this fishery. Monitoring of long-line vessels on the Gascoyne Plateau recorded 4kg of this species in 21 shots (Knuckey et al., 2001). 
The species is reported to be part of the bycatch in the Northern Zone and Southern Zone Rock Lobster fisheries in South Australia (Sloan, 2003a). Catch statistics in this fishery for all Serranids combined, are discussed above, in the section on Serranidae.
H. nigroruber is reported to be sold in the aquarium trade. In 2005, specimens from southern Australia were being sold for export, for US$20 - US$25 (Ryan and Clarke, 2005).

Recreational

There are records of the species being taken by recreational fishers, charter boat fishers, and spear fishers, but no quantitative data are available for this report.
Some fishing clubs keep records of the maximum sizes caught (e.g. Australian Anglers’ Association Inc. W.A. Division, 2003; New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, 2004; Australian Anglers Association, 2005).
The record size taken by spearfishing is 0.50kg, being a specimen taken from N.S.W. in 1973 (Australian Underwater Federation, 2003).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Black-banded Seaperch is a member of the Serranidae, a family of fish whose life history characteristics increase the vulnerability of populations to decline. Serranids are generally slow moving, benthic, reef-associated fish that reproduce as protogynous hermaphrodites, and maintain specific population structures (e.g. ratio of males to females, and numbers per group). These characteristics make Serranids vulnerable to capture by a number of fishing methods, and susceptible to other site-specific impacts.
The species exists over a narrow depth range in upper continental shelf waters. Black-banded Seaperch is strongly site-associated with reefs in the shallow subtidal, which may increase the vulnerability of populations in some areas to site-specific impacts; however there are no specific data.

Threatening Processes

The species occurs on shallow, nearshore reefs. In some areas, particularly metropolitan reefs, processes that reduce the quality of such habitat (such as reduction or change in benthic cover due to land-base discharges) may adversely affect Black-banded Seaperch populations, but no specific data are available.
This site-associated reef fish species is fished recreationally, and is part of the bycatch in a small number of commercial fisheries, and is collected for the aquarium trade. There are no data (in any part of the range) on the effects of fishing on Black-banded Seaperch population abundance or structure; however fishing is potentially a threatening process, given the life history characteristics of serranids, which include H. nigroruber.

Research Requirements

Data are required on the population dynamics, and on the relative abundance of this species across the range.
Assessment is required of the potential effects of fishing on Black-banded Seaperch population abundance and structure.

Management Requirements

There are no species-specific catch statistics, and commercial and recreational catches of Black-banded Seaperch should be quantified. Currently, there are no catch restrictions in any State. Given the vulnerability of Serranids to population declines, restrictions on the take of this species are recommended.
Where possible, measures to reduce the bycatch of Black-banded Seaperch in commercial fisheries should be implemented. 
The numbers taken for the aquarium trade should be monitored, and the potential for localised population impacts should be assessed.
Marine protected areas are beneficial for conserving populations of site-associated species such as Serranids, and due consideration should be given to the formal protection of some areas in which this species occurs.

Other Information

Black-banded Seaperch occur in a number of marine parks and reserves in Victoria, such as Port Phillip Heads (Edmunds et al., 2003; Plummer et al., 2003; Parks Victoria, 2004).
Black-banded Seaperch is promoted as one of the fish species that can be observed at various popular dive spots in New South Wales and W.A.