© 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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Glover’s Anglerfish

Family Name:	Antennariidae
Scientific Name:	Rhycherus gloveri Pietsch, 1984
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Glover’s Anglerfish is included here because (i) the species appears to have a narrow depth range, and is found on shallow subtidal reefs and under jetties, which can increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific coastal impacts, including habitat damage; (ii) shallow water temperate anglerfishes in general are potentially vulnerable to population decline, due to their strong site association, low fecundity, benthic reproduction and (probably) restricted dispersal ability; (iii) some temperate anglerfishes are sought after in the specialist aquarium trade, which may cause localised population depletion, but there is no information about whether or not Glover’s Anglerfish is taken for this trade; (iv) the species is  known from few specimens; and (v) there is little information on the distribution, relative abundance or rarity (including the S.A. part of the range), and few data on the depth range, habitat requirements, and biology of this species.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

To date, R. gloveri is known to range from southern Western Australia, through to eastern South Australia (Paxton et al., 1989; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2006d).
The type locality is Bunbury in W.A. (Pietsch, 1984), where a specimen was found dead in a tidal rock pool at Clifton Beach Rocks.

South Australia

In South Australia, records have come from the gulfs region, but no surveys have been undertaken to determine whether the species occurs east or west of that region, in other parts of the State.
Examples of locations where this species (including several type specimens) has been recorded include northern, western and eastern Spencer Gulf (e.g. Whyalla, Port Broughton, Tickera, Wallaroo and Port Hughes areas); south-western Spencer Gulf (e.g. Port Lincoln area, and Grindal Island), and metropolitan waters of Gulf St Vincent (Pietsch, 1984; Paxton et al., 1989; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; photographs by J. Lewis, December, 2005; Australian Museum, 2006d; South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
The paratype specimen was taken off Port Lincoln, in southwestern Spencer Gulf (Museum of Victoria record A 524, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

The species occurs in reef areas (Australian Museum, 2006d).
In W.A., Glover’s Anglerfish has been recorded on a jetty pile, amongst soft corals (South Australian Museum record F 07520, cited in OZCAM database, 2004), and specimens have also been recorded under jetties in South Australia (e.g. photographs by J. Lewis, December, 2005).
Based on the known specimens (e.g. from W.A. and S.A.), the species occurs inshore (Paxton et al., 1989). Specimens have been recorded between at least 7m and 20m (OZCAM database records, 2007); however the full depth distribution has not been published.

Notes on the Biology

Growth

The species grows to around 16cm (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2006d).

Reproduction

As is the case with some other species in the Antennariidae, Rhycherus is reported to be oviparous, with the eggs being produced in a gelatinous mass, where they remain embedded until hatching (Breder and Rosen, 1966, and Thresher, 1984, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007). Females in the genus Rhycherus lay about 5000 eggs in a large mass (Kuiter, 1993). Each egg has a long double filament that sticks to growth on the surrounding rocks (Australian Museum, 2005m).

Other Information

Glover’s Anglerfish is variable in colour (e.g. tan, yellow-brown to dark brown on the upper body; underside cream to light tan, with some specimens having silvery-white, irregular-shaped blotches on various parts of the body (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Glover’s Anglerfish is a benthic species found in nearshore areas. The habitat requirements and apparently narrow depth range of this species may increase its vulnerability to site-specific coastal impacts.
Anglerfishes have low fecundity, benthic reproduction and restricted larval dispersal, which are characteristics that increase the vulnerability of such fishes to population decline (e.g. see Pogonoski et al., 2002, for information on the vulnerability of other fish families with similar reproductive characteristics).

Threatening Processes

Glover’s Anglerfish occur on reefs in the shallow subtidal, and in some parts of the range, such habitats are subject to land-based impacts (e.g. see discussion of reef impacts in metropolitan GSV, in synopsis for Bougainville’s Anglerfish). Populations of reef-associated fish species of limited dispersal ability may be adversely affected by habitat decline in nearshore reefs, but there are no specific data.
Some temperate anglerfishes are sought after in the specialist aquarium trade (which may cause localised population depletion), but there is no information on the capture of this species in southern Australia for that purpose.

Research Requirements

The species is known from very few specimens (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994). There is little information on the distribution, relative abundance or rarity, habitat, depth range, and biology of this species.
S.A. records are from the gulfs region. Surveys are required to determine whether the species has a wider distribution in S.A., or whether it is restricted to Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent in the S.A. part of the range.
Marine photographers with an interest in the less common anglerfishes should be encouraged to provide their photographs (with date, and location) to museums in southern Australia, for positive identification, and to assist with the records bank for such species.

Other Information

Glover’s Anglerfish was distinguished from the very similar R. filamentosus (Tasselled Anglerfish) in 1984 (Pietsch, 1984), and the species are very similar in appearance (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2006d).