© 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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Pug-nose Pipefish / Pug-nosed Pipefish

Family Name:	Syngnathidae
Scientific Name:	Pugnaso curtirostris (Castelnau, 1872)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Least Concern
Rationale:  Pug-nose Pipefish is included here because (i) it is a species of syngnathid, from a family whose members are considered to have vulnerable population characteristics; (ii) the species may occur over a relatively narrow depth range (i.e. normally known from less than 20m); (iii) although the species has a wide geographic range, and specimens from surveys are plentiful (including S.A.), little is known of the relative abundance in many parts of the range, or of the biology, population dynamics and ecology of this species; (iv) given the distribution, habitat and currently known depth range, the species might occur in prawn trawling grounds in South Australia, but there are no species-specific data; and (v) alteration and degradation of inshore habitats may be a potential threat to the survival of this species, but there are no species-specific data; examples could include reduced estuarine water flow, and changes to the physical and chemical and biological nature of estuaries, dredging of channels (for maintenance etc), seagrass decline from residential, industrial, and rural discharges into coastal waters (from point sources and diffuse sources), coastal developments, trawling / netting in seagrass beds, power boating (and consequent disturbance of benthic habitat, and siltation) in shallow waters where the species is present. Despite the vulnerable characteristics and potential threats, the species may be considered of Least Concern in S.A., because (i) there are regular recent sightings, and records of this species in S.A. are widely distributed around the State, and (ii) Pug-nose Pipefish exists in a variety of habitats subject to various oceanographic conditions.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

All syngnathids are listed as Protected Aquatic Biota in Victoria
The Tasmanian Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 prohibits the take of all syngnathids in Tasmania (by non-permit holders, since Sep 1994)
All syngnathids are subject to the export controls of the Commonwealth Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982 from 1 January 1998.
All syngnathids and solenostomids are listed marine species under s248 of the EPBC Act 1999
Since January 2006, fishes in the Syngnathidae (seadragons, pipefish, pipehorses) have been formally protected in South Australia, under the Fisheries (General) Variation Regulations 2006 of theSouth Australian Fisheries Act.
 

Distribution

Southern Australia

Pugnaso curtirostris is the member from a monotypic genus that occurs along the south coast, from Bass Strait, Victoria, through to southern WA (e.g. Rottnest I.) (Dawson, 1985; Kuiter, 2000), and the distribution includes Tasmania (e.g. Edgar et al., 1999).  
The species is common in Western Port in Victoria (Kuiter, 1996b), and has been recorded in many other locations in that State, including Port Phillip Bay (e.g. Port Melbourne, Rye, Flinders, Portsea) (Kuiter, 2000; Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007), and a number of recent records from Corner Inlet (Museum of Victoria data, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
 

South Australia

The species has been reported (usually in low numbers) from many parts of the South Australian coast, ranging from the Great Australian Bight through to the lower South-East of S.A., near the Victorian border.
Examples of locations where Pug-nose Pipefish has been recorded include locations in the eastern Great Australian Bight (e.g. Ceduna, Venus Bay, and Waterloo Bay); eastern and south-eastern Spencer Gulf (e.g. Port Hughes area; Port Victoria area; Hardwicke Bay / Port Minlacowie, and further west, in the region of the southern Spencer Gulf trawl grounds); south-western Spencer Gulf (e.g. Tumby Bay; and Port Lincoln area – e.g. Peake Bay and Louth Bay); across southern Yorke Peninsula (e.g. Pondalowie Bay, Marion Bay, Foul Bay, Sturt Bay and Sheoak Beach); northern Gulf St Vincent (GSV) (e.g. Port Gawler); western GSV (e.g. Black Point, Pine Point, Port Julia, Port Giles - unverified, Wool Bay, Stansbury, Edithburgh, Coobowie, and Troubridge Island); north-eastern coast of GSV (e.g. Port Gawler; St Kilda, Outer Harbour; Port River - Barker Inlet area, Semaphore, and deeper waters off Grange); lower metropolitan coast of GSV (e.g. Onkaparinga River, and O’Sullivans Beach marina); Investigator Strait; northern (e.g. Stokes Bay, and Snelling Beach area) and north-eastern Kangaroo Island (e.g. Bay of Shoals area, Nepean Bay, and Penneshaw); southern Kangaroo Island (e.g. Vivonne Bay); Backstairs Passage; Encounter Bay (e.g. Rosetta Head and other locations in the bay) and West Island; Murray River mouth / Coorong area (i.e. Goolwa area, and Long Point); and Carpenters Rocks and Port MacDonnell area in the lower South-East of S.A., and the Glenelg River, near the Victorian border (Hureau, 1991; Anonymous, 2000d; Fairhead et al., 2002a, 2002b; Tanner et al., 2003; Tanner, 2004; K. Smith, unpubl. data 2003-2005 and pers. comm., 2005; Browne, 2004; University of Adelaide data, cited in Hammer, 2006a; Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; K. smith, pers. comm., 2008). 
Museum records of the Pug-nose Pipefish from South Australia are plentiful, compared with those for most other pipefish species in this State. It is noted, however, that the dates of those records range between 1912 and 1987. In March 2002, 15 specimens (unverified) were reported in beam trawl samples, and one in a seine netting samples, during an a dredging environmental impact study at Outer Harbour, north-eastern GSV (Fairhead et al., 2002b).    
Higham et al. (2002) reported that although the species is recorded in the Murray Mouth region, it is not resident in the area.
 

Habitat

Pug-nose Pipefish has been recorded from a variety of habitats, such as Zostera seagrass beds in bays (Dawson, 1985; K. Smith, pers. comm., 2005), as well as macroalgae on low reef patches in sand; large rubble on sand; Posidonia and Amphibolis seagrass (including seagrass patches near reef); and in shallow estuaries and protected bays (Dawson, 1985; Kuiter, 1996b and 2000; Kendrick and Hyndes, 2003).
In South Australia, the species has been recorded from habitats that vary considerably in temperate, salinity and wave exposure, ranging from low energy estuaries and protected bays in the gulfs and along western Eyre Peninsula, to more exposed sites in Investigator Strait, outer Encounter Bay, and the lower south-east of S.A. (see examples in Distribution, above). 
In south-western Australia, the species has been recorded in seagrass beds in various mainland bays (Hutchins, 2005). During beam trawl sampling of seagrass habitat off Fremantle in W.A., over five consecutive seasons from summer 1996/1997 to summer 1997/19986, 6 specimens of Pug-nose Pipefish were recorded in Amphibolis griffithii seagrass, 5 specimens in Posidonia sinuosa seagrass, and 2 specimens in Posidonia coriacea (in that area, the latter seagrass occurred in sparse clumps, surrounded by areas of bare sand and patches of Heterozostera nigricaulis) (Kendrick and Hyndes, 2003).
In Victoria, the species has also been recorded in shallow seagrass beds in Port Phillip Bay and Swan Bay (Jenkins et al., 1997; Jenkins and Wheatley, 1998, cited by Hart et al., 2004).
Juveniles are often found in estuaries, amongst decaying vegetation (Kuiter, 2000). In Tasmania, the species has been recorded in low abundance in seagrass in the Tamar Estuary, and in an estuary in northern King Island (Edgar et al., 1999). 
The species is well camouflaged in some habitats, and can resemble a piece of decaying Posidonia seagrass (e.g. MLSSA photo, 2006, in Marine Life Society of South Australia, undated)
Most records are from low tide level to less than 20m deep (e.g. Dawson, 1985; Kuiter, 1996b, 2000; Kendrick and Hyndes, 2003; South Australian Museum records; Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007)

Notes on the Biology

Pug-nose Pipefish reportedly grows to around 18 - 19cm (Dawson, 1985; Dawson, in Gomon et al., 1994), but is known mostly from specimens under 15cm (e.g. Kuiter, 2000; Browne, 2004). 
Pug-nose Pipefish hunts for and eats small crustaceans (e.g. mysids) on the substrate (Kuiter, 2000). Because the species has a short snout, it mainly consumes slow moving prey (Kendrick and Hyndes, 2005).
As with other pipefishes, the male is the brooder, and has a complex pouch structure (with semi-inverted folds) in the tail region (Wilson et al., 2003). Males may be brooding at 13 – 14cm (Dawson, 1985). Males have been recorded brooding in November and December in S.A. (Browne, 2004). Egg numbers have been examined in a small number of specimens from two locations in S.A., with 12-50 eggs in males from Marion Bay (central S.A. coast), and 60-90 in males from Venus Bay (eastern great Australian Bight (Browne, 2004). 
 

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

Many of the life history characteristics of syngnathids make them susceptible to impacts, and vulnerable to population decline. Such characteristics include low population densities; strong habitat association; small home range sizes and low mobility; possible low rates of natural adult mortality (due to low levels of predation, hence human-induced mortality may disrupt population dynamics); monogamy and localised reproduction; aggregation (in some species) for feeding and/or breeding; small brood sizes, and strong association between adults and young.
Gven the distribution, habitat and currently known depth range, the species might occur in prawn trawling grounds in South Australia, but there are no species-specific data.
The species is found in a variety of shallow subtidal habitats. In some areas, alteration and degradation of inshore habitats (particularly estuaries and nearshore seagrass beds) may be a potential threat to the survival of this species, but there are no species-specific data. Examples could include reduced estuarine water flow, and changes to the physical and chemical and biological nature of estuaries; dredging of channels (for maintenance etc); seagrass decline from residential, industrial, and rural discharges into coastal waters (from point sources and diffuse sources); coastal developments; trawling / netting in seagrass beds; power boating (and consequent disturbance of benthic habitat, and siltation) in shallow waters where the species is present.
 

Research Requirements

Although the species has a wide geographic range, and specimens from surveys are plentiful (including S.A.), little is known of the relative abundance in many parts of the range, or of the biology, population dynamics and ecology of this species.
Species-specific information is required on the bycatch (if any) of this species in prawn trawl fisheries in South Australia.
 

Management Requirements

Generally, protection from degradation is required for estuaries and nearshore seagrass habitats.
Where the species is present in the bycatch of coastal fisheries (e.g. prawn trawl bycatch), such information should be recorded over space and time, and methods to reduce the bycatch of syngnathid fishes should be adopted where possible. As indicated in Research Requirements above, 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; Dixon et al., 2005). It is noted that prawn fisheries in southern Australia have made significant efforts during the past decades to reduce the bycatch of bony fishes. Examples for Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent include the spatial and temporal organisation and “real time” management of the fishing fleet in some areas (e.g. Spencer Gulf) to minimise capture of undersized prawns and bycatch species, and developments in gear design to reduce bycatch, such as square-mesh cod-ends, bycatch chutes, hopper/conveyor systems, and the fitting of exclusion devices (e.g. MacDonald, 1998; Carrick, 1997; Broadhurst et al., 1999; South Australian Prawn Industry Association web site, 2000; PIRSA, 2003).
Measures (such as improvements in net design) to reduce the bycatch of benthic fish species in all trawl fisheries are recommended.

Other Information

The species belongs to a monotypic genus from southern Australia.
The species has been reported as being fairly common in the Bass Strait area (Gomon et al., 1994).
In draft ecological risk assessments, Pug-nose Pipefish was listed as being at “low risk” of population impacts from the operation of (i) the otter trawl sub-fishery and the Danish seine sub-fishery in the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF) (Wayte et al., 2004), (ii) the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (Daley et al., 2006); the Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery (AFMA, 2006d); and (iv) the southern shark gillnet sub-fishery, southern shark demersal long-line sub-fishery, scalefish demersal long-line sub-fishery, scalefish automatic long-lining sub-fishery, and scalefish drop-line sub-fishery of the Gillnet, Hook and Trap Fishery (Webb et al., 2004).
The species has been recorded in the West Island Aquatic Reserve in South Australia.
 

Support for S.A. Listing:

Graham Edgar (University of Tasmania), recommending Data Deficient category.