© 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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Fringed Stargazer / Fringe Stargazer

Family Name:	Uranoscopidae
Scientific Name:	Ichthyscopus barbatus Mees, 1960
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Although the Fringed Stargazer may have a broad geographic range, it is included here because the species (i) is a benthic, site-associated fish in sand habitats of the upper continental shelf; it may be susceptible to localised impacts, and may have a relatively low resilience to exploitation; (iii) is a bycatch (and minor by-product) species in some commercial fisheries, and is caught occasionally by recreational fishers, with no Commonwealth – or State-level controls over capture (other than voluntary restrictions by at least one fishing club in W.A.); (v) there are inadequate data on the geographic distribution, relative abundance (including the S.A. part of the range), biology (e.g. reproduction, and longevity), and population dynamics; (v) there are insufficient data on the commercial bycatch and recreational take, and inadequate information on the nature and extent of threatening processes, particularly potential population impacts of fishing.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

Gomon (in Gomon et al., 1994, and pers. comm., 2006) reported a disjunct distribution, with two separate populations for the Fringed Stargazer I. barbatus: one in New South Wales, and the other from the gulfs region in South Australia through to southern Western Australia. According to M. Gomon (Museum of Victoria, pers. comm., 2006), the two populations may be the same species.  Hutchins (in Hutchins and Thompson, 1983, 2001, and Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001), excluded the N.S.W. population, and reported the distribution of this species to be Port Lincoln in S.A. through to Rottnest Island in Western Australia. B. Hutchins (W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006) considers that the eastern and western populations of I. barbatus might be separate species, but more work is required.
It is noted that most records from southern Australian museums that are reported to be this species, are specimens from N.S.W. (Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

South Australia

There are few published records from South Australia, and these are from the western part of the State. Examples include Port Lincoln area (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Hutchins and Swainston, 2001); and the Great Australian Bight (CSIRO Marine Research data 1973, cited in CSIRO, 2007). There is also a museum record of a specimen collected in the Israelite Bay area of W.A., near the W.A. / S.A. border (CSIRO Marine Research record CA480, 1978).

Habitat

The Fringed Stargazer is found on sandy bottom, often in shallow, protected waters (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001).
The species has a relatively narrow depth range on the continental shelf, from the shallow subtidal to about 50m deep (May and Maxwell, 1986, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; CSIRO Marine Research records and Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2004 and CSIRO, 2007); however there is a museum record of a specimen, reported to be I. barbatus, collected from 60m – 64m, near the S.A. / W.A. border (CSIRO Lira survey data, 1973, cited in CSIRO, 2007).

Notes on Biology and Behaviour

The Fringed Stargazer grows to about 41cm (May and Maxwell, 1986, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
The species grows to at least 1.54kg, which is one of the record sizes reported to date (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986), being a specimen taken in 1982 from Eagle Bay in W.A. (Australian Anglers Association – WA Division, 2002a).
The species buries itself on the sea floor, in sandy habitats (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986).
Stargazer species are ambush feeders that lie camouflaged in benthic sand and wait for prey.

Fisheries Information

Commercial

The Fringed Stargazer is reported to be trawled in some parts of southern Australia (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001). The species is not targeted, but has been recorded as a component of the bycatch of fisheries, such as the Commonwealth-managed SESSF – Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fisheries, which includes the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF) (AFMA, 2002a). Stargazer bycatch is not recorded to species’ level in fishers’ logbooks in the SETF. Large quantities of unspecified stargazer species (which may include Fringed Stargazer, amongst others) are recorded in fishers’ logbooks as bycatch. For example, in 2000/01, fishers’ logbooks recorded about 86t of stargazers in the bycatch of the SETF (AFMA, 2002a); however it is probable that only a small proportion of the stargazer catch comprised Ichthyscopus barbatus. It is noted that during an Integrated Scientific Monitoring Program, low quantities of I. barbatus were recorded in the otter trawl sub-fishery of the SETF (i.e. recorded only in 2 shots, with 1kg per shot retained, and 500g per shot discarded) (Wayte et al., 2004).

Recreational

In some areas, such as southern W.A., the species is occasionally taken by hook and line on sandy bottoms adjacent to reefs, in shallow coastal waters (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Some recreational fishing clubs and associations keep records of the maximum sizes caught (e.g. Australian Anglers Association – W.A. Division). One fishing club from W.A. has rules for its members regarding the minimum size (25cm) and number (i.e. 1 per day) of Fringed Stargazers that may be taken by recreational fishing (e.g. see Melville Amateur Angling Club, 2003). It is noted that Fringed Stargazer is an unlisted species in the State fishing regulations in W.A., and in 2006 the daily bag limit for any unlisted species was 16 fish.
Species-specific data on the recreational catch of stargazers is not available for this report; however it is noted that the recent National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (Henry and Lyle, 2003) reported that 1,782 Stargazer specimens were caught and kept by recreational fishers during the survey time period (May 2000 to April 2001), comprising 932 from Queensland, and 850 from New South Wales. The numbers discarded were not recorded, nor were statistics on catches from the southern Australian states.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Fringed Stargazer is a member of the Uranoscopidae, a family of strongly site-associated, benthic fishes of limited mobility, and probably limited dispersal ability. The strong site association of Uranoscopidae fish makes them vulnerable to site-specific benthic impacts, such as trawling and dredging.
Fringed Stargazer has a relatively narrow depth range, known to date from the shallow subtidal to about 50m deep.
Previously, Froese and Pauly (2004) reported the Fringed Stargazer to have a low resilience to exploitation in terms of minimum population doubling time (based on preliminary age and growth estimates). The assumed level of resilience has since been changed to “medium” (Froese and Pauly, 2007); however the vulnerability of populations of fish in Uranoscopidae to over-exploitation is noted here.
A draft ecological risk assessment of the South East Trawl and Danish Seine Fishery (Wayte et al., 2004), listed Fringed Stargazer as a “medium risk” species, i.e. one of the species that is susceptible to population impacts from trawling.

Threatening Processes

Trawling is likely to be a threatening process (see above), but more information is required. No data are available about the change over time in the abundance of this species in the bycatch of trawl fisheries, nor are there any other indirect (or direct) measures of potential impact on populations.
Localised benthic impacts, such as trawling, dredging and sand removal, may adversely affect populations of shallow-water stargazer species, but there are no specific data.

Research and Management Requirements

More information is required on the geographic distribution (the entire range, and the distribution within S.A.), relative abundance, biology and population dynamics of this species.
There is inadequate information on the nature and extent of threatening processes, particularly potential population impacts of fishing. In particular, more information is required on the bycatch in commercial fish and prawn trawl fisheries (both Commonwealth- and State-managed).
Quantification of Stargazer bycatch (to species’ level) in fisheries over space and time is recommended, and measures to reduce the bycatch of benthic species such as Stargazers are required, where possible.
Species-specific recreational catch statistics are lacking, and stargazer species are generally not targeted by recreational fishers. Nevertheless, given the potential for populations of Uranoscopid fishes to be affected by fishing, catch limits are required for recreational fishing of shallow water stargazer species.