© 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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Long-snouted Boarfish / Longsnout Boarfish

Family Name:	Pentacerotidae
Scientific Name:	Pentaceropsis recurvirostris (Richardson, 1845)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Near Threatened
Rationale:  Although the Long-snouted Boarfish has a broad geographic range (across southern Australia) and relatively large depth range in continental shelf waters, it is included here because: (i) it is a site-associated reef, and in the shallow part of the range, is particularly vulnerable to capture by spear fishing, gill netting and angling, due to its reef association and territorial nature; (ii) in deeper waters, the species is taken as by-product in at least five Commonwealth-managed fisheries, and also by commercial fisheries in all southern States of Australia (including Tasmania); (iii) there are virtually no regulations over the capture of Long-snouted Boarfish in commercial fisheries, no controls over numbers taken by recreational fishers in S.A., and few studies have been undertaken to determine the potential impacts of fishing on P. recurvirostris populations, or the sustainability of current fishing levels; (iv) a number of reports have alluded to the decline of this species in some heavily fished reef areas in south-eastern Australia; (v) the species is considered to be at risk of population impacts from trawling in commonwealth-managed fisheries; (vi) like other members of the Pentacerotidae, Long-snouted Boarfish is likely to be a bottom feeder, and have a strong habitat association; therefore, habitat damage in continental shelf waters due to processes such as trawling, nutrient pollution, sedimentation, and dredging, may have a consequent negative impact on boarfish populations; however no specific studies have been undertaken.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

In Australia, the species has a broad distribution across the southern half of the continent, from southern N.S.W, through to southern Western Australia (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994), and the distribution includes Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands (Edgar, 1984, cited by RPDC, 2002).

South Australia

Long-snouted Boarfish is widely distributed in South Australia, but usually recorded in low numbers.
Examples of locations in S.A. where P. recurvirostris has been recorded include Encounter Bay (e.g. The Bluff, Granite I. and West I.); the metropolitan coast of Gulf St Vincent (e.g. Port Wakefield, Grange, Glenelg, Henley Beach, Port Stanvac, Port Noarlunga, Christies Beach); southern Fleurieu Peninsula (e.g. Rapid Bay Jetty, Wirrina, and other locations); northern Kangaroo I. (e.g. Snug Cove, King George Beach), north-eastern and eastern Kangaroo I. / Dudley Peninsula (e.g. Penneshaw, Hog Bay, Snapper Point, Cape Willoughby); Althorpe I. and Western Isles in western Investigator Strait; northern Spencer Gulf (Whyalla, Port Pirie, Blanche Harbour); south-eastern Spencer Gulf / “toe” of Yorke Peninsula (e.g. Groper Bay); south-western Spencer Gulf (e.g. Port Lincoln area, Thistle I., Roxby I. ), southern Eyre Peninsula (e.g. Perforated I.); western Eyre Peninsula (e.g. Point Labatt); West Island in the Nuyts Archipelago, and the Investigator Group isles (e.g. Pearson I., Topgallant I.) in the eastern Great Australian Bight (Glover, 1979; Kuiter, 1983; Branden et al., 1986; K. Branden and S. Shepherd, unpubl. data, 1987; Hureau, 1991; Branden et al., 1994; Australian Anglers Association record, 1979; photograph by A. Bowie, undated; D. Cook, 1999, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2006; S. Shepherd and K. Brown, unpubl. data, 2002; S. Shepherd, J. Mather and D. Ashcroft, unpubl. data 2002; S. Shepherd and K. Smith, unpubl. data, 2002; Shepherd and Brook, 2003; S. Shepherd, unpubl. data, 2005; Shepherd et al., 2005; Reynolds, 2005; Currie and Sorokin, 2005, 2010; Edgar et al., 2006; CSIRO Marine Research data, cited in CSIRO, 2007; South Australian Museum records, Australian Museum record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
During a recent survey of 28 sites between southern Fleurieu Peninsula and Encounter Bay, the species was recorded in low numbers at six sites, with the highest abundance recorded at a site near Snapper Point on the Dudley Peninsula (north-eastern Kangaroo I.), where 17 individuals of P. recurvirostris were recorded over 4, 50m x 10m transects (Edgar et al., 2006).

Habitat

The Long-snouted Boarfish has been recorded from a variety of habitat types. The species is common around sheltered and exposed inshore rocky reefs, often near kelp beds, and also near caves, ledges and overhangs (Kuiter, 1993, 1996a; Edgar, 2000, and recreational diving records).
During a survey of nearshore fish species in south-western Australia, Long-snouted Boarfish were recorded from reefs with medium density of macroalgae cover, and from seagrass beds of medium density (Harvey et al., 2004). The species has also been reported from “shallow sandy estuaries” (Kuiter, 1996a). During a survey of nearshore fishes in south-western Australia, some Long-snouted Boarfish individuals were recorded in bare sand habitat (Harvey et al., 2004).
In south-eastern Tasmania, the species has been recorded from both reefs (where individuals are of larger mean size) and soft-bottom habitats (e.g. Lyle et al., 2000).
Examples of habitats in which adults Long-snouted Boarfish have been recorded include granite block reefs covered with brown canopy macroalgae, such as Ecklonia and species of Cystophora species (Shepherd and Brook, 2002b); artificial reefs made of tyres (N.B. Long-snouted Boarfish have been recorded on at least 5 tyre reefs in S.A.) (Branden et al., 1994), and shipwrecks (e.g. in Tasmania and South Australia).  In mid-eastern Spencer Gulf in S.A., small juveniles (0+) have been recorded on a shallow, wave-sheltered reef platform, sheltered by a nearshore island (J. Baker, pers. obs, 2005).
The species has been recorded in the shallow subtidal in Port Phillip Bay (Kuiter, 1993), and is reported to be commonly encountered on nearshore reefs in Victoria (Edmunds and Hart, 2003).
Although the Long-snouted Boarfish is commonly found in waters less than 40m (May and Maxwell, 1986), it also occurs on deeper coastal refs (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001). The species has a broad depth range, from the shallow subtidal to about 260m deep (May and Maxwell, 1986; Kuiter, 1993; Hardy, in Gomon et al., 2004; Edgar, 2000).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

P. recurvirostris can grow to at least 50cm, and more than 4kg (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001; Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994).
A specimen of about 60cm was recorded during a survey in 2002 at the Nuyts Archipelago (Shepherd and Brook, 2003b).

Diet

P. recurvirostris feeds on brittle stars (and featherstars), polychaete worms and brown macroalgae (Scott et al., 1974, cited in Edgar, 2000, and Froese and Pauly, 2006; Parks Victoria, 2006). During a survey in Spencer Gulf, the gut of one specimen was examined, and found to contain 100% macroalgae (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Behaviour

The species is often solitary (e.g. Barrett and Wilcox, 2001), or found in pairs or small groups (Kuiter, 1993, 1996a).
Although the species is considered to have high site fidelity, and guards small territories in the vicinity of crevices and caves (Parks Victoria, 2006), it also makes localised movements away from the “home” base. During a survey of reef fish movement in Tasmania, one P. recurvirostris individual was sighted more than 50m away from the home reef, three months after the initial sighting (Edgar et al., 2004).

Other Information

The long anterior spines at the start of the dorsal fin are venomous.

Fisheries Information

Commonwealth-managed Fisheries

Boarfish species taken in the bycatch of commercial fishing in Commonwealth waters are not usually recorded to species level, although some specific records of P. recurvirostris do exist, and are provided below. Catch data for boarfish species as a group are provided above, in the section on the family Pentacerotidae.
Long-snouted Boarfish is frequently trawled commercially in the deeper parts of the range, with low catch rates (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 2004). The species has been marketed as “Boarfish” (AFFA, 2004d), but will likely be marketed under its species-specific common name in future.
According to Barratt et al. (2001), historic trawl records of Long-snouted Boarfish in the Commonwealth-managed South East Trawl Fishery (SETF) showed that the species was (unofficially) considered a target species by fishers, even though P. recurvirostris has always officially been classified as a bycatch species. In the otter trawl sub-fishery of the South East Trawl Fishery, an Integrated Scientific Monitoring Program (ISMP) survey during 2000-01 reported that in 18 trawl shots, about 26.5kg of P. recurvirostris were retained, and 4kg were discarded (Wayte et al., 2004). It is not known for this report whether the survey results from 2000-01 were representative of the catch per annum of Long-snouted Boarfish in the SETF.
Catches of Long-snouted Boarfish taken incidentally in the Commonwealth-managed Southern Shark Fishery are marketed (Walker, 1999). A study by Walker (Walker et al., 2003) of the bycatch in the Southern Shark Fishery, showed that in Bass Strait, during a study in 1973-1976, the average number of Long-snouted Boarfish caught per 1000 km hours, was 42 (S.E. = 17) fish with 7-inch nets, 62 (S.E. = 19), with 6-inch nets, and 75 (S.E. = 32) with 5-inch nets. In 1998-2001, and an average of 17 (S.E. = 3) Long-snouted Boarfish were caught per 1000 km hours, using 6-inch nets. In the South Australian sector of the fishery, the study by Walker et al. (2003) showed that during 1998-2001, an average of 36 (S.E.= 13) and 29 (S.E. = 11) Long-snouted Boarfish are caught per 1000km hours, using 6-inch and 6 ½-inch mesh nets, respectively. The total catch during sampling in 1998-2001 was reported to be 61 animals, with 98% of the catch being retained. During the 1998-2001 sampling period, P. recurvirostris was amongst the top 4 scalefish species caught in both Bass Strait and South Australia, and in each region, these top 4 scalefish bycatch species provided about 60% of the total catch of scalefish (Walker et al., 2003).
The species is a retained by-product in the South East Non Trawl fishery (SENTF). During a bycatch monitoring program in 1999-2000, only 1kg of Long-snouted Boarfish was recorded (Knuckey et al., 2001). It is not known for this report whether the survey results from 1999-2000 were representative of the catch per annum of Long-snouted Boarfish in the SENTF.
P. recurvirostris is a retained by-product species in the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (GABTF) (Bromhead and Bolton, 2005). During a sampling program in the GABTF in 2000-2001, Long-snouted Boarfish was observed in only 2 of 209 trawl shots, with an average quantity retained of 1kg per trawl shot (Brown and Knuckey, 2002). AFMA (2002a) reported that only 7kg was recorded during the pilot project for the Integrated Scientific Monitoring Program in the GAB Trawl Fishery. It is not known for this report whether the bycatch survey results from 2000-01 were representative of the catch per annum of Long-snouted Boarfish in the GABTF.
P. recurvirostris is a retained by-product species in the Commonwealth-managed Gillnet, Hook and Trap (GHAT) fishery in south-eastern Australia (Bromhead and Bolton, 2005).
Long-snouted Boarfish is a very minor bycatch species in the Commonwealth-managed Small Pelagic Fishery (AFMA, 2005a).

State – Commercial

Boarfish species taken by commercial fishing in southern Australian States are not always recorded to species level. For each State, examples of catch data for boarfish species as a group are provided above, in the section on the family Pentacerotidae.
Total reported catches of Long-snouted Boarfish from Victorian and Tasmanian waters during the 1990s are listed below, according to statistics from BRS’s National Fisheries Production Database (NFPD) (BRS, 2004). The accuracy of these figures is not known for this report, but it is noted that Murphy and Lyle (1999) reported slightly higher catches for Tasmania than those reported by BRS.  According to Murphy and Lyle (1999), between 1990 and 1996, the annual reported catch of Long-snouted Boarfish in Tasmania was approximately 10t, half of which was taken in shark nets and half from the general gillnet fishery (including that for Banded Morwong). Reported catches increased slightly with the commencement of the Banded Morwong fishery, from 11.6t in 1992 to a high of 13.7t in 1994, but declined to 6.7 t in 1996 (Table 32) (Lennon, 1998, cited by Murphy and Lyle, 1999).

Table 32 Long-snouted Boarfish P. recurvirostris: Total Reported Catch from Victoria and Tasmania
Year	Victorian Catch (t)	Tasmanian Catch (t)
1990/91	10	7
1991/92	8	10
1992/93	6	8
1993/94	6	10
1994/95	6	9
1995/96	7	7
1996/97	8	10
1997/98	2	-
1998/99	1	-
(from BRS, 2004)

During the past decade, large quantities of boarfish, reported to be Pentaceropsis recurvirostris, have been sold periodically in the Melbourne Wholesale Fish Market (e.g. up to 25t, in one year of the 1990s) (C.H. Smith Marine, 2005). It is not known for this report whether other boarfish species were included in the sale statistics reported to be P. recurvirostris, or what proportion of the catch came from State waters compared with Commonwealth waters. It is noted that the per annum quantities sold (Table 33) do not equate with catch statistics reported by BRS, reputed to be the total Australian catch (State and Commonwealth catches combined) (BRS, 2004 – see above).

Table 33 Annual quantities of Boarfish (reported to be Pentaceropsis recurvirostris) sold, along with maximum and minimum quantities sold per month, at Melbourne Wholesale Fish Market, 1993-2001
Year	Minimum monthly quantity sold	Maximum monthly quantity sold (kg)	Total quantity sold p/a (tonnes)
1993	0kg (Jan - Jun; Aug - Sep)	5,940kg (Nov)	10.3t
1994	0	-	-
1995	0	-	-
1996	0	-	-
1997	0kg  (Jan - Jul)	10,560kg (Oct)	23.4t
1998	150kg (Aug)	7,230kg (Oct)	24.9t
1999	0kg (Sep)	3,450kg (Oct)	17.75t
2000	210kg (Jan)	1,860kg (Oct)	8.07t
2001	360kg (Jan, Feb, Mar)	2,820kg (Apr)	5.88t *
* N.B. data in 2001 for January to July only (adapted from C.H. Smith Marine, 2005)

Long-snouted Boarfish are also taken by commercial gill-nets in Tasmania, including those that are used to target Banded Morwong, and those used to target sharks (Murphy and Lyle, 1999; Smith and Heran, 2001). A survey of the gillnet fishery for Banded Morwong (1994-97) reported that the by-catch of P. recurvirostris is between 1% and 5% of the catch by both weight and number, depending on region (Murphy and Lyle, 1999). During the survey period cited above, the total catch from 4 regions of Tasmania was 302 specimens, amounting to 425kg (Murphy and Lyle, 1999). It is noted that catches of boarfish species are not generally separated by species. An example of commercial catches of boarfishes in Tasmania (of which P. recurvirostris is one component), is provided above in the section on Pentacerotidae.
In N.S.W., the species is a minor component of the estuary prawn trawl bycatch in Botany Bay (New South Wales Fisheries, 2002).
There are records in the American Museum of Natural History, of P. recurvirostris specimens that were caught in Bass Strait, by commercial fishing (Anon., 2002b).
This species is likely to be a minor component of the bycatch in the Spencer Gulf prawn trawl fishery in South Australia. For example, during a research survey by otter trawl in 2007, this species was recorded at 9 sites in central and southern Spencer Gulf (Currie and Sorokin, 2010), including grounds worked periodically by prawn trawlers.
In W.A., Boarfish (not recorded to species level) are also taken in the Joint Authority Southern Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery (JASDGDLF), a fishery that is jointly managed by the Commonwealth and W.A. Fisheries, and the West Coast Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline fishery (WCDGDLF). AFFA (2002b) reported that P. recurvirostris is the boarfish species taken in the JASDGDLF. Annual catches of boarfish in the JASDGDLF and the WCDGDLF (which amount to a few tonnes, and which may comprise other boarfish species in addition to P. recurvirostris) are discussed above, in the section on Pentacerotidae.
Long-snouted Boarfish is also taken for the aquarium trade, and an aquarium supply company in N.S.W. promotes this species for temperate marine fish displays in home and office aquaria.

Recreational

This species is popular with anglers, netters and spear fishers because it is considered to be good table fish.
The species is taken by recreational fishers in all southern Australian states, and some clubs and associations keep records of the maximum sizes of P. recurvirostris caught (e.g. Australian Anglers Association – Victorian Division, 2003; Australian Anglers Association, 2005). There are minimum size limits and bag limits / possession limits in some states. Examples of recreational catches of boarfish species (which includes Long-snouted Boarfish, amongst others) are provided in the section on Recreational Fishing of species in the Pentacerotidae.
In Tasmania (particularly the south-east), the species is taken by recreational gillnet fishing over reefs and soft sediment habitats (Williams and Schaap, 1992; Smith and Heran, 2001; Lyle et al., 2000). Long-snouted Boarfish is also taken by anglers in Tasmania (Lyle and Campbell, 1999, Appendix 2). There is a minimum size limit of 45cm, and a possession limit of 2 boarfish, but spearing is prohibited (DPIWE Tasmania, 2004e). It is noted that in reef habitats in south-eastern Tasmania, recreational gillnets of 108mm mesh and 114mm mesh can select boarfish smaller than the legal minimum size (e.g. see results in Lyle et al., 2000).
The Long-snouted Boarfish is caught by spear fishers in all southern Australian States. P. recurvirostris was one of the commonly taken species in spearfishing competitions in South Australia during the late 1970s and early 1980s (see Johnson, 1985a and 1985b). For example, during three shore-based spearfishing heats held during 1983-1984 on the Fleurieu Peninsula, P. recurvirostris was one of the top 5 species taken, in terms of numbers (Johnson, 19865b). More recently, Long-snouted Boarfish (specimens over 0.7kg) was listed as one of the targets in the 54^th Australian Spearfishing Titles 2006, held on northern Kangaroo Island (Australian Underwater Federation Inc., 2006). In Victoria, fishing groups promoted the seasonal capture of Long-snouted Boarfish in Port Phillip Bay (e.g. FishNet, 2005). The maximum size of Long-snouted Boarfish taken by spearfishing is reported to be a specimen of 4.026kg, taken in W.A. (Australian Underwater Federation Inc. records, 2003).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

Due to their territorial nature in nearshore reef habitat, Long-snouted Boarfish are very susceptible to spearing, angling and capture in gillnets.  In deeper waters, the species is susceptible to capture by trawls and gillnets. The species is taken in a number of Commonwealth-managed and State-managed fisheries.
In Tasmania, there have been some concerns about over-fishing, stock depletion, and excess catches of small specimens in some areas, resulting in the current legal minimum size limit, and the prohibition on spearing Boarfish in that State (Murphy and Lyle, 1999; DPIWE Tasmania, 2004e). Increases in gillnet effort for other species (e.g. Banded Morwong, and sharks) may have a negative impact on Long-snouted Boarfish populations (Murphy and Lyle, 1999). Also in Victoria, Long-snouted Boarfish populations are considered to have declined on heavily fished reefs, and sightings of the species in such areas are becoming increasingly rare (Parks Victoria, 2006).
In a draft ecological risk assessment report for the South East Trawl Fishery (Wayte et al. 2004), P. recurvirostris was listed as being a “medium risk” species in terms of potential population impacts from trawling, although the calculated “overall risk value” was close to the upper limit for that category, hence the species almost qualified as “high risk” in that assessment.
Based on results from research trawls (Currie and Sorokin, 2010), the species is likely to form a minor component of the trawl bycatch in Spencer Gulf in South Australia, but has not previously been recorded in prawn trawl bycatch surveys and monitoring programs, and the potential population impacts of capture in prawn trawls are not known.
Generally, boarfishes are site-associated reef fish species that feed on the bottom. In some areas of the continental shelf, damage to the benthos (e.g. from processes such as trawling) may have a consequent negative impact on Long-snouted Boarfish populations; however no studies have been undertaken.

Research Recommendations

Data are lacking on some aspects of the biology (e.g. growth, longevity, reproduction) and the population dynamics of Long-snouted Boarfish over space and time.
More information is required on the distribution, habitat and relative abundance of Long-snouted Boarfish in the deeper part of the range (mid and outer continental shelf waters, where the species is caught in Commonwealth-managed fisheries). Generally, there has been insufficient research to determine population sizes of this site-associated species in most parts of the range, or the sustainability of fishing P. recurvirostris populations.
Boarfish species in the bycatch of State- and Commonwealth-managed fisheries should be identified to species level.

Management Recommendations

Catches in both Commonwealth-managed and State-managed fisheries should be reported at species level, rather than only as “boarfish”.
As occurred for the South East Trawl Fishery, assessments should be undertaken to determine the vulnerability of this species to impacts from other Commonwealth fisheries, and measures to reduce the bycatch of this and other boarfish species in Commonwealth-managed trawl, gill-net and hook fisheries should be investigated.
In keeping with recent regulations to control numbers taken by recreational fishing of this species in Victoria and Tasmania, similar fishing regulations are required in all other southern States (including South Australia).
Measures to reduce the bycatch of this species in South Australian prawn trawl fisheries should be implemented, where possible.

Other Information

The Long-snouted Boarfish occurs in a number of Marine National Parks (MNPs) and Marine Sanctuaries (MS) in Victoria, such as Wilson Promontory MNP, Bunurong MNP, Port Phillip Heads MNP, Beware Reef MS, and Ricketts Point MS (Ariens and May, 2002; Ferns and Hough, 2002; Plummer et al., 2003; Edmunds et al., 2003; Dedrick, 2004).
At the Maria Island Marine Reserve in Tasmania, Long-snouted Boarfish is considered to be present in “substantial numbers”, compared with other parts of Tasmania (Parks and Wildlife Service, 1998). Long-snouted Boarfish is also found at Ninepin Point Marine Reserve (Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club, 2003). The species is also found in low numbers at many of the sites in northern Tasmania that have been proposed as marine reserves (Barrett and Wilcox, 2001).
Long-snouted Boarfish is one of the reef fish species monitored by the Reef Watch programs in South Australia and Victoria.
The Long-snouted Boarfish is regularly recorded by divers, due to its territorial nature, and its presence is often mentioned in promotion of various dive sites across the range.