© 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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Little Weedfish / The Girls’ Weedfish

Family Name:	Clinidae
Scientific Name:	Heteroclinus puellarum (Scott, 1955)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Little Weedfish is included here because (i) the species is strongly site-associated in nearshore habitats, may occur over a narrow depth range, and may thus be vulnerable to habitat impacts in some areas (such as degradation of nearshore seagrass beds), but there are no specific data; (ii) the species is of south-eastern Australian distribution, and the central S.A. coast appears to be the western extent of the range;  due to the existence of few records, the full distribution within this State is not known; (iii) Clinids reproduce at a small, site-associated scale (and have live young), characteristics that may increase the species vulnerability to population decline; and (iv) there is no knowledge of population sizes within the range (including in South Australia), and very little is known of the biology and population dynamics.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

The Little Weedfish has a south-eastern Australian distribution, ranging from eastern South Australia to western Victoria (e.g. Warrnambool) and Tasmania (e.g. Eaglehawk Neck; Prosser Bay; Carnarvon Bay on the Tasman Peninsula; Bruny I., Booming Bay on the East Coast; Low Head, and other locations) (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Jordan et al., 1998; CSIRO Marine Research record, cited in OZCAM database, 2008).
IMCRA Technical Group (1996) considered H. puellarum to be one of the indicator species for the Tasmanian Province, which extends from the north-eastern tip of Tasmania at Cape Naturaliste, encircling the west, south and east coasts, up to Cape Grim at its north-western extremity.

South Australia

According to the few South Australian records known to date, Kangaroo Island and Spencer Gulf appear to be the western edge of the distribution. Examples of locations in S.A. where the species has been recorded include Spencer Gulf (e.g. Point Turton and other locations); the metropolitan beach area in eastern Gulf St Vincent; Kangaroo Island, and the upper south East (Cape Jaffa / Robe area) (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2008).

Habitat

Inhabits tide pools, “deep estuarine habitats”, and rocky reefs (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994).
In Tasmania, H. puellarum has been recorded in low numbers from shallow bays with sand and seagrass (e.g. Amphibolis antarctica) (Jordan et al., 1998), and also in a shallow (0m - 2m) muddy, seagrass-lined lagoon (DPIF Tasmania, 1997).
The species has been recorded in the intertidal (i.e. 0m) and shallow subtidal (e.g. there are records from 8m deep) (Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2008). The full depth range is not known for this report.

Notes on the Biology

Growth

H. puellarum grows to around 10cm (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994).
No estimates of longevity were found for this report; however, it is noted that post-settlement growth is rapid, and a study of 12 weedfish species in south-eastern Australia showed that most of the reproductive populations consist of fishes in the 1 + year-class (Gunn and Thresher, 1991).

Reproduction

Temperate weedfishes are viviparous, many are “super-foetate” (simultaneously developing multiple batches of eggs and/or embryo) and reproduce over several months in spring and summer (Gunn and Thresher, 1991). Maternal investment in the nutrition of the young is high. After parturition, the larvae spend from 3 to 7 weeks in the plankton, primarily in in-shore waters (Gunn and Thresher, 1991).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

Members of the Clinidae are site-associated in shallow seagrass beds and reef habitats, and processes which damage such habitats may adversely affect populations of clinid species.
Members of the family are viviparous (bear live young), and therefore reproduce at a local, site-associated level, and have low dispersive ability, characteristics that can increase vulnerability to processes causing population decline.

Research Requirements

Very little is known of the distribution within S.A., the population sizes within the range (including S.A.), and the biology and population dynamics. Information on the distribution, relative abundance, habitat requirements and biology may help in better determining the susceptibility of weedfishes to threats such as habitat degradation. However, the difficulty of determining distribution and relative abundance of small, cryptic, benthic species such as weedfishes is noted.
Nearshore fish surveys in tide pools, shallow seagrass beds and other nearshore habitats should be aware of the potential presence of site-associated Clinids such as H. puellarum, and when found, the presence of such species should be recorded. Weedfish are difficult to identify in situ, and a photographic record should be taken where possible.

Management Requirements

Little Weedfish is site-associated in nearshore habitats. Habitat protection is required from processes that degrade the quality of seagrass beds and other nearshore habitats (e.g. physical damage from dredging / channel clearing, shallow water boating etc; and also eutrophication; siltation etc).