© 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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Orange-barred Pufferfish / Orangebarred Pufferfish

Family Name:	Tetraodontidae
Scientific Name:	Polyspina piosae (Whitley, 1955)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Included here because (i) the species appears to have a geographically limited distribution, with few published records to date; (ii) central South Australia is reported to be the edge of the range of this species; (iii) P. piosae is a near-shore species that occurs in shallow sandy bays, and near shallow coastal reefs, and thus may be vulnerable to habitat impacts in some areas; (iv) pufferfishes lay demersal eggs, and this benthic, site-specific mode of reproduction may increase the vulnerability of populations to localised impacts; (v) given the habitat and depth distribution of this species, it is highly likely to be vulnerable to prawn trawls (and possibly fish trawls) in coastal waters, but more data are required; (vi) there is little existing information about the relative abundance, biology (such as longevity and reproduction), ecology, and population dynamics of this species across its range; and (vii) brightly-coloured pufferfish species in southern Australia are used in the specialist aquarium trade, and potential impacts on populations have not been investigated.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

Generally, the species occurs mainly in south-western Australia, but has been recorded as far eastwards as Kangaroo Island in S.A. (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Fremantle in W.A. is the type locality (Eschmeyer, 2004).
The species has been recorded in the trawling grounds off Shark Bay, central W.A. coast (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006). In W.A., although P. piosae has mainly a sub-tropical distribution (Hyndes et al., 1999), it is noted that the Australian Museum houses a record of this species from the southern W.A. coast, near Esperance, and the species is considered to be reasonably common inhabitant of the south coast of W.A. (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006).
 

South Australia

The species is reported to have been recorded in research trawl surveys that ranged between mid- and upper- Spencer Gulf (P. Jennings, SARDI, unpublished data, 2003), and there are other reports from that area (including a specimen from off Whyalla – S.A. Museum data, collected by J. Aldenhoven, 2006). It has also been recorded more recently from central to south-eastern Spencer Gulf, during an otter trawl survey in 2007 (Currie and Sorokin, 2010). Other records from South Australia include Kangaroo Island (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994), and the Encounter Bay region (R. Foster, South Australian Museum, pers. comm., 2006; South Australian Museum record, collected by R. Kuiter, 1982, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

Generally, the Orange-barred Pufferfish inhabits sandy bottoms in coastal waters (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994). This species was recorded during a study of the fish fauna of sandy surf zones in W.A. (Ayvazian and Hyndes, 1995).
 In southern W.A., the species is found mainly on sandy bottoms off coastal beaches (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006).
In S.A., there is a record of this species being taken in sand habitat with sparse seagrass, at 15m depth (S.A. Museum record, 1982, cited in OZCAM database, 2004; R. Foster, S.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006). The Orange-barred Pufferfish is also found on sand near reefs, in protected shallow coastal bays.
The recorded maximum depth is around 40m deep (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994; Kuiter, 1996a). During a trawl survey in Spencer Gulf, specimens were recorded between 12m and 41m (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Notes on the Biology and Behaviour

The species grows to around 8cm (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001), 9cm (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994) or 10cm (Kuiter, 1996a).
During a trawl survey in Spencer Gulf, the gut contents of 5 specimens weer examined, and found to contain about 35% galatheid crustaceans; 38% unspecified small crustaceans, and 24% isopods (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).
Demersal eggs are laid in a nest and presumably defended (Nelson, 1994, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
The Orange-barred Pufferfish occurs singly or in small groups (Kuiter, 1996a).
P. piosae is not frequently seen, but is known to school in moderate numbers in sandy areas (Hardy, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Fisheries and Trade Information

Brightly-coloured pufferfish species in southern Australia are popular in the specialist aquarium fish trade; however the extent to which the species is collected in southern Australia for this purpose is not known for this report.
No species-specific data are available regarding bycatch; however it is noted that the Great Australian Bight (GAB) is part of the species range, and at least one other related species (O. armilla) has been recorded in large quantities as bycatch in the GAB Trawl Fishery (see section above, on Tetraodontidae). It is possible that in the shallowest depths worked by trawlers in the GAB, a portion of the unspecified “pufferfish” bycatch (see AFMA, 2001c) might be P. piosae.
Given the habitat and depth range of this species, it is likely to be caught in prawn trawls in some parts of South Australia; however there are no data on bycatch on pufferfish available for the prawn trawl fisheries in the eastern GAB, and in Gulf St Vincent. Perhaps surprisingly, in bycatch programs during the 1990s and early 2000s in the Spencer Gulf prawn trawl fishery, the species was not reported in the bycatch (e.g. Carrick, 1997; Dixon et al., 2005). However, in a more recent research trawl survey in Spencer Gulf, this species was recorded from 25 sample locations in central and southern Spencer Gulf (Currie and Sorokin, 2010), including grounds worked periodically by prawn trawlers.
Species-specific recreational fishing data are not available; however the section above on Tetraodontidae provides an example of recreational fishing statistics for pufferfish and toadfish as a group.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

In S.A., the species is known from a limited geographic area, and appears to be uncommon within this State.
Pufferfishes lay demersal eggs in a nest (Nelson, 1994, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007), a population characteristic that increases their vulnerability, compared with fish that do not have such strong site association and site-specific, benthic reproduction.

Threatening Processes

Capture in trawls may be a threatening process, but more information is required. Based on research trawl bycatch in prawn trawl grounds, this species may be vulnerable to capture in prawn trawls, in northern, central and southern Spencer Gulf. Similarly, given the habitat and depth range of this species, it is likely that P. piosae may be (or may have been) part of the pufferfish bycatch in eastern GAB and Gulf St Vincent.
Given the strong site association and localised reproduction of this species, collection for the aquarium trade has the potential to caused localised depletions, but there are no data available.

Research and Management Recommendations

More information is required on the distribution and relative abundance of this species across the range, including the western and south-western coasts of W.A., GAB, and the gulfs region and upper south-east of South Australia (the latter of which is the edge of the species range).
There is little information on the habitat of this species in the S.A. part of the range.
Very little is known of the biology, population dynamics (especially longevity and reproduction) and ecology of this species.
Any trawl bycatch of this species should be reported and monitored (including that from Spencer Gulf, where it exists in trawl grounds). In S.A., a system should be developed for the ongoing collection and monitoring of bycatch data from the Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery and the West Coast Prawn Fishery (as currently occurs in the Spencer Gulf Prawn Trawl Fishery), sufficient to enable identification of long-term trends in bycatch (Australian Government DEH, 2004b). More generally, bycatch of shallow water puffer fish species in all coastal fisheries should be recorded at species level, over space and time, and methods to reduce bycatch should be adopted.
Measures to reduce the bycatch of pufferfish in trawl fisheries should be instigated, where possible.
There are no publicly available statistics on the take of this species for the aquarium trade. All reef fish species taken for that trade should be documented over space and time, and sustainability assessments should be undertaken. The potential for illegal collecting of this species should also be monitored and prevented.