© 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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Deep Velvetfish

Family Name:	Aploactinidae
Scientific Name:	Kanekonia queenslandica Whitley, 1952
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  The species is included here because (i) K. queenslandica appears to be uncommon throughout its purported range, with few specimens known; (ii) the records from South Australia are unusual, due to the mainly tropical distribution of this species, and it is not known whether they represent a relict population of K. queenslandica that survives in the warmer waters of Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent, or a separate taxon; (iii) the habitat preferences of Deep Velvetfish makes it susceptible to capture in trawls, but the potential population impacts are not known; (iv) the shallow distribution of this species may make it susceptible to decline from habitat impacts in some areas, but more information is required; and (v) there is very little known about the distribution, biology (particularly growth, longevity and reproduction), habits, population dynamics, and relative abundance of this species. The Deep Velvetfish is very small, cryptic, and is not likely to be seen unless specifically searched for. It is possible that the species (or a close relative) might be more widely distributed than current records suggest, and surveys would be required to determine if that is the case. Given the lack of records, and paucity of information about this species, it is considered to be Data Deficient in status at the present time.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Australia

There are few records of this species. K. queenslandica is known from a few localities in Queensland (such as Albany Passage in North Queensland, the type locality); also locations off the north-western coast of W.A.; Cockburn Sound in southern W.A., and from South Australia (Poss, in Gomon et al., 1994; CSIRO Marine Research records, Western Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum record, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

South Australia

To date, there are few records from South Australia, five of these from the South Australian Museum, and rest from a recent survey of Spencer Gulf in 2007. The museum records are (i) a specimen taken by prawn trawling in central Gulf St Vincent waters, 15 miles west of Marino, collected in 1970 (South Australian Museum specimen 03833, cited by R. Foster, SAM, pers. comm., 2006); (ii) a specimen collected in 1982, reportedly taken from "6 mile east of Minini Reef, 8 mile from Shoal Point", off eastern Eyre Peninsula / western Spencer Gulf (South Australian Museum record F 05326); (iii) a trawl-caught specimen from Yarraville Shoal (north-central Spencer Gulf), taken in 1985 (R. Foster, South Australian Museum, pers. comm., 2006); (iv) a specimen taken from off Wallaroo in Spencer Gulf, in 2005 (Museum of Victoria record A 29227 001, cited in OZCAM database, 2006), and (v) a specimen taken at ~30 m deep east of Thistle I., in southern Spencer Gulf, during a prawn trawl bycatch study (SARDI data, cited by S. Shepherd, pers. comm., 2007). During a trawl survey in 2007, specimens reported to be K. queenslandica were recorded at 2 sites in northern spencer Gulf (off Port Pirie), and 2 sites in central eastern Spencer Gulf (off Wallaroo - Cape Elizabeth area) (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).
Other than the records cited above no other examples of the species in S.A. could be found. It is presumed that this small, cryptic fish is overlooked in benthic surveys, and no targeted surveys have been undertaken to date.

Habitat

The species is found in inshore waters, in soft-bottom habitats (Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Examples of depths from which specimens have been collected include 35m, 39m and 55m (CSIRO Marine Research records, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
A Californian Academy of Sciences Museum specimen of K. queenslandica, reportedly collected from southern Australia, was taken in coarse gravel habitat, at 12m, in an area with a strong current (Anonymous, 1993, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Several specimens found during a trawl survey of Spencer Gulf in 2007 came from 14m - 19.3m (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

This small, large-headed species grows to around 6cm or 7cm (Poss, in Gomon et al., 1994). The holotype specimen was less than 5cm long. Similarly, a specimen caught in Spencer Gulf in 1985 was just 2.5cm long (R. Foster, South Australian Museum, pers comm., 2006). A specimen caught during a trawl survey in Spencer Gulf in 2007 was 5.4cm long (Currie and Sorokin, 2010)

Diet

During a trawl survey in Spencer Gulf, the gut content of one specimen was examined, and was found to contain 100% crustaceans (unspecified) (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Reproduction

Nothing is known of the spawning mode (Leis, 2005). Only a few larvae of fishes in this family have been described (Kojima, 1988; Leis and Carson-Ewart, 2000; Leis et al., 2004, cited by Leis, 2005), and specialisations to pelagic life include the extremely large, early forming pectoral fins, and the extensive head spination (the latter of which is largely retained by adults) (Leis, 2005).

Fisheries Information

The species (or its southern relative) has been recorded in prawn trawl bycatch in Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf (South Australian Museum data, 1970 and 1985, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2006).
It is noted that the species has been recorded occasionally in bottom trawls (Martin et al., 1995) and scallop dredge bycatch (Barker et al., 2004) in north Queensland.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

The inshore distribution, benthic nature, and apparent rarity of this species in southern Australia may make populations susceptible to site-specific impacts in some areas.
Due to the occurrence of this benthic, site-associated species in nearshore, soft bottom habitats (including the gulfs region of S.A.), it is vulnerable to capture in trawls. Very few data are available for southern Australia, and there is insufficient knowledge of the extent to which trawl capture is a threatening process for Deep Velvetfish populations. To date, there are few catch records from prawn trawling, other than several reported specimens in South Australia, and several more from a benthic otter trawl project in Spencer Gulf. Given the paucity of records from inshore trawl grounds to date, populations are considered likely to be at low risk from this process (M. Gomon, Museum of Victoria, pers. comm., 2006), but it is noted that the small size and cryptic appearance of this species may result in specimens from prawn trawls not being seen, or being thrown back overboard without record.
There is no knowledge of reproduction in this species. If dispersal is low, and recruitment of the next generation is localised, then that mode of reproduction may increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific impacts.

Research and Management Requirements

Specimens of Deep Velvetfish from Spencer Gulf in South Australia should be examined and compared, if possible, with those from the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the range. It is not known whether the specimens found in S.A. represent a relict population of Kanekonia queenslandica that survives in the warmer waters of Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent, or a closely related taxon.
There is very little information known about the distribution, biology (particularly growth, longevity and reproduction), habits, population dynamics, and relative abundance of this species.
In South Australia, any future presence of this species in prawn trawl bycatch should be recorded over space and time if possible.
Dredging and channel clearing programs need to be conscious of the potential presence of cryptic, benthic fish species such as Velvetfishes.

Other Information

The species appears to be uncommon, and was previously known only from a few specimens in museum collections, mostly from tropical areas (Poss, in Gomon et al., 1994). more recently, it has been recorded in low numbers (~4) from a trawl survey in Spencer Gulf (Currie and Sorokin, 2010). However, it is possible that the species would be overlooked during most benthic surveys, due to its small size and apparently cryptic appearance.