© 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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SCORPIDIDAE or SCORPIDINAE: SWEEP

© D. Muirhead, MLSSA

Members of the Scorpididae are deep-bodied, compressed fishes related to the Drummers (Kyphosidae), and some authors include them in the latter family, as the sub-family Scorpidinae. Four of the eight genera and approximately half of the species in Scorpididae / Scorpidinae are found in temperate Australian waters (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Edgar, 2000).
Sweep fishes have heavily scaled bodies, with the scales extending as a sheath-like covering onto the basal portions of the dorsal and anal fins. Most parts of the head are also covered with scales (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994). Most Sweep are schooling fishes, occurring along rocky shores and in harbours, ranging from the intertidal to around 200m deep (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Sweep-like species in southern Australia include the following (from Kuiter, 1993, 2000; Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Prokop, 2000; Barrett and Wilcox, 2001; N.S.W. Fisheries, undated; Australian Museum, 2003w; Reef Watch, 2003; Baker, 2004; W.A. Department of Fisheries, 2004b; Australian Underwater Federation Inc., 2006; B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. com., 2006; CSIRO, 2007; Shepherd and Baker, 2008):
Sea Sweep Scorpis aequipinnis: a large species (to around 60cm), often found in small aggregations on coastal reefs, to around 25m deep. Juveniles are usually found further inshore, in schools. The Sea Sweep ranges across southern Australia, from southern N.S.W. / Victorian border area through to W.A., including Tasmania. The species is taken by both commercial and recreational fishers (anglers and spear fishers). 
Banded Sweep S. georgiana (= S. georgianus): a species found in southern W.A. and S.A., commonly on shallow reefs, and also found in caves and under ledges, in the shallow subtidal. Banded Sweep is taken by some commercial fishers, and by recreational anglers and spear fishers.
Silver Sweep S. lineolata (= S. lineolatus): a schooling species that ranges from southern Queensland through to Victoria and Tasmania. The Silver Sweep is found on shallow reefs along both exposed and sheltered coastlines, and they occasionally enter estuaries. Juveniles are common in rock pools. The species is common in N.S.W., but not so in southern waters, where it is replaced by Sea Sweep. In N.S.W., Silver Sweep has been identified as one of the common species which may have been over-fished. Fish trappers and purse-seiners have reported dramatic declines in the abundances of Sweep in their catches in recent years. Reported landings show that catches of sweep have declined from 145t during 1997/98 to 30t during 2000/01 (N.S.W. Fisheries, undated).
Australian Mado Atypichthys strigatus: a shallow water reef species that ranges from southern Queensland through to Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, and northern and eastern Tasmania. The Australian Mado is found on coastal reefs, and under jetties in harbours and large estuaries, and is one of the most common reef fish species in New South Wales.
Footballer Sweep Neatypus obliquus: A site-associated reef fish species found in W.A. and S.A., with a broad depth range across the continental shelf.  
Stripey Microcanthus strigatus: A coastal reef fish species found in small to large aggregations in the shallow subtidal. There are separate populations in N.S.W. and Western Australia (considered by some to be separate species). M. strigatus occurs only in small numbers in south-western WA, but it does not occur along the south coast. Stripey form small schools just above the bottom in reef areas.   
Moonlighter (Six-banded Coralfish) Tilodon sexfasciatus (= T. sexfasciatum): Commonly observed in pairs, on shallow rocky reefs, and also commonly observed on artificial reefs and wrecks. Moonlighter range from Victoria and Tasmania through to Western Australia. Moonlighter adults and juveniles are commonly observed on nearshore reefs in many parts of South Australia, such as Gulf St Vincent (Shepherd and Baker, in press), Encounter Bay, Spencer Gulf and Kangaroo Island. The species has frequently (and mistakenly) been placed in the Chaetodontidae (Butterfly Fish) family. The Moonlighter is not targeted by most anglers, but is taken by some spear fishers in southern Australia. Juvenile specimens are sometimes caught (illegally) and discarded by novice spear fishers on nearshore reefs in S.A. (J. Baker, pers. obs., 1996-97). Recently, Moonlighter (with specimens over 0.4kg) was listed as one of the targets in the 54th Australian Spearfishing Titles 2006, held on northern Kangaroo Island (Australian Underwater Federation, 2006).  Moonlighters are also captured for the aquarium trade. For example, in the commercial fishery in W.A. that serves the aquarium trade, it is reported that 1512 Moonlighter specimens have been collected in W.A. waters since 1976.     

Commercial Fishing

Scorpis lineolata, S. aequipinnis and S. georgiana are commercial species in southern Australia, taken mainly in State-based fisheries. Both Scorpis aequipinnis and S. lineolata are marketed as “sweep” (Seafood Services Australia, 2003).
Catches of Sweep species in most Commonwealth-managed fisheries are low (AFMA, 2002a), because these are shallow water species. Sweep are caught in the Southern Shark Fishery component of the Gillnet. Hook and Trap Fishery (GHAT) (e.g. 187kg recorded in fishers’ logbooks in 2000/01) and the South East Non-Trawl Fishery (only 53kg recorded in logbooks in 2000/01) (AFMA, 2002a). The species is considered to be at low risk from population impacts due to bycatch in the GHAT Fishery (Webb et al., 2004). There are bycatch possession limits for Commonwealth-managed fishers operating in State waters, because Sweep are State-managed species.
In South Australia, commercial catches of Sweep are not separated by species. Both Sea Sweep and Banded Sweep are taken in S.A. waters. The State-wide catch of Sweep species in S.A. is provided below, in the synopsis on Banded Sweep, but it is noted that, given the relative commonness of Sea Sweep, the majority of the catch may comprise S. aequipinnis rather than S. georgiana.
In Tasmania, commercial catches of sweep (unspecified Scorpis species) were low during the 1970s and much of the 1980s (less than 500g per annum), but higher during the late 1980s (e.g. 3t – 4t per annum between 1987 and 1990). From 1990 to 1998, the annual recorded catch ranged between 500kg and 2t per annum (Lyle and Jordan, 1999).
In Victoria, the catch of Scorpis sweep is about 1.5t per year, with about 70% of that taken by line fishing (McLeay et al., 2002).
In Western Australia, both Sea Sweep and Banded Sweep are caught commercially. The combined catch of the two sweep species, from all fisheries in W.A., is shown in the synopsis on Banded Sweep Scorpis georgiana.
Commercial fisheries for other sweep species in southern Australia are not discussed here; however it is noted that in New South Wales, there are signs that the commonly taken commercial sweep species S. lineolata is being over-fished (N.S.W. Fisheries, undated). 

Recreational Fishing

The common sweep species (Sea, Banded, Silver and Mado) are popular species for anglers, and adult sweep are often targeted around reefs, wharves and jetties.  Juvenile sweep are often regarded by anglers as “pests”, because they pick at baits intended for other fish. Some fishers use small sweep as live bait for catching Kingfish or Samson Fish (Prokop, 2000).
The National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (Henry and Lyle, 2003) reported that 206,966 Scorpis sweep specimens were caught by recreational fishers in southern Australian States during the survey time period (May 2000 to April 2001), comprising 92,678 (SE = 17,355) from N.S.W.; 26,324 (SE = 12, 958) from Victoria; 524 from Queensland; 57,864 (SE = 16,430) from South Australia; 28, 944 (SE = 6,986) from W.A., and 633 from Tasmania. Collectively, the catches would have included Scorpis lineolata, S. aequipinnis, S. georgiana and perhaps Atypichthys strigatus. The majority of the catch (about 198,000 specimens) was taken using hand lines, and about 48% of the total sweep catch was released (Henry and Lyle, 2003).
In South Australia, Sea Sweep and Banded Sweep are taken across the State by recreational fishers. Further information on sweep fishing in S.A. is provided in the synopsis on Banded Sweep Scorpis georgiana. In Victoria, there is a minimum legal size of 23cm for all sweep species taken by anglers, but no species-specific bag limits (other than a general daily bag limit of 40 scalefish, all species combined) (DPI Victoria web site, 2004). In New South Wales, there is a daily bag limit of 20 Sweep, but no minimum legal size.  In W.A., there is a daily bag limit of 8 Sweep (Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, 2006b). There are no size limits in Tasmania for Sweep but there is a personal possession limit of 15 for all unlisted species, which would include Sweep.
Sea Sweep and Banded Sweep are strongly site-associated (territorial), and therefore may be vulnerable to localised depletion (Rohan et al., 1991). Sea Sweep is not included in a synopsis below due to its relative abundance in South Australia; however the potential for localised depletion is noted. The Banded Sweep is discussed below because it is a site-associated reef fish species found over a relatively narrow depth range, and appears to be less abundant in S.A. than Sea Sweep Scorpis aequipinnis. Another species, the Footballer Sweep Neatypus obliquus, is included in a synopsis below, due to its limited distribution in South Australia, which is at the edge of the geographic range. 

Associated taxa

Footballer Sweep / Western Footballer	Neatypus obliquus Waite, 1905
Banded Sweep / Footballer	Scorpis georgiana Valenciennes, 1832 = Scorpis georgianus