© 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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Rodless Anglerfish / Cryptic Anglerfish

Family Name:	Antennariidae
Scientific Name:	Histiophryne cryptacantha (Weber, 1913)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Although the Rodless Anglerfish has a broad geographic distribution, and relatively broad depth range on the continental shelf, it is included here because (i) in the shallow part of the range (from where most specimens are known), the association of this species with reefs and jetties can increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific coastal impacts, including habitat damage; (ii) 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) the species is part of the bycatch in prawn trawl fisheries in South Australia, but there are insufficient data to determine potential population impacts; (iv) some temperate anglerfishes are sought after in the specialist aquarium trade, which may cause localised population depletion, but there are insufficient data on the source of specimens from southern Australia that appear in the trade; and (v) there is little information on the distribution and relative abundance or rarity of this species in the southern part of the range (including S.A.), and few data on the habitat requirements, and biology.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Global

Rodless Anglerfish is reported to have a broad tropical, sub-tropical and temperate distribution, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia, excluding Tasmania (Kuiter, 1993, 2000; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Allen and Adrim, 2003; Froese and Pauly, 2007).

South Australia

To date in S.A., the species is known 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 in S.A. where the Rodless Anglerfish has been recorded include waters seaward of the Franklin Harbour and Shoalwater Point areas in western Spencer Gulf; waters seaward of Moonta Bay / Tiparra and Wallaroo area of eastern Spencer Gulf; various islands in the Sir Joseph Banks Island Group; Port Lincoln and Cape Donington area in south-western Spencer Gulf; the Innes National Park coast (“toe” of Yorke Peninsula); “heel” of Yorke Peninsula (e.g. Edithburgh and other locations); the metropolitan coast of Gulf St Vincent (West Beach), and various locations along the southern Fleurieu Peninsula (e.g. Aldinga Bay area, and a site 3km north of Wirrina) (photographs by J. Lewis, 2004 and 2005; South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria records, Australian Museum record, cited in OZCAM database, 2004, 2007; S.A. Museum data, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2006, 2007).

Habitat

The species occurs on the continental shelf. The known depth range is about 3m to 130m; however most specimens have been found in the shallower part of the range on inshore reefs (Paxton et al., 1989, cited by Froese and Pauly, 2007), with an average depth of less than 40m (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; OZCAM database records, 2004).
In the shallow part of the range, the species has been found under rocks and in ledges in the intertidal and shallow subtidal (Hutchins and Swainston, 2001; S.A. Museum records F05520, F05521, F05522, F07570, cited in OZCAM database, 2004). Rodless Anglerfish have also been recorded on rubble in the vicinity of jetties (e.g. photographs by J. Lewis, 2004, 2005).
In southwestern Australia, the species has been recorded from shallow reefs (Hutchins, 2005).
In the tropical part of the range, adults are often found in the vicinity of sponges or ascidians (Kuiter and Tonozuka, 2001, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

The Rodless Anglerfish grows to around 9cm (Kuiter, 1993, 2000; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Reproduction

The species is oviparous (Breder and Rosen, 1966, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007). Eggs are attached to each other by a single, flattened, acellular filament, and are brooded in a hollow behind the left pectoral fin (Pietsch and Grobecker, 1987), with the tail curled around to form a pocket (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994). A Cryptic Anglerfish specimen, with the tail wrapped around the eggs, has been observed in South Australia (e.g. photographs by J. Lewis, January, 2005).

Other Information

Histiophryne cryptacantha is highly variable in colour (e.g. light beige, pale yellow, yellow-brown, pinkish-brown to dark chocolate brown). Some specimens are covered with small, close-set ocelli (spots) that are darker than the base colour on the body (Gomon et al., 1994), and the fish has the external appearance of a sponge.

Fisheries / Trade Information

A number of records in S.A. come from prawn trawling in Spencer Gulf (South Australian Museum data, 1980-1983).
Japan is one of the countries to which aquarium specimens of Histiophryne cryptacantha are exported (as evidenced by photographs from an aquarium company in Japan). The source of the specimens could not be found for this report.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Rodless Anglerfish is a benthic species, strongly site-associated with reef habitats, and although it has a relatively broad depth range on the continental shelf, it is mostly known from the shallow subtidal. Nearshore populations may be vulnerable to site-specific coastal impacts.
Anglerfishes have low fecundity, benthic reproduction (with parental brooding) 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

Some populations of Rodless 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; however 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

There is little information on the distribution, relative abundance or rarity, habitat, and biology.
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 the gulfs, in the S.A. part of the range.
A study should endeavour to determine whether the southern Australian populations of Rodless Anglerfish are the same species as the tropical populations.
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

Rodless Anglerfish closely resembles the Bougainville’s Anglerfish H. bougainvilli (Gomon et al., 1994).
The species is of interest to some divers and marine photographers.