© 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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Sand Crawler / Slender Snake Blenny

Family Name:	Clinidae / Ophiclinidae
Scientific Name:	Sticharium dorsale Günther, 1867
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Sand Crawler is included here because (i) the species is strongly site-associated in nearshore habitats, may occur over a very narrow depth range, and may thus be vulnerable to habitat impacts in some areas (such as degradation of nearshore sand and seagrass habitats), but there are no specific data; (ii) Clinids reproduce at a small, site-associated scale (and have live young), characteristics that may increase the species vulnerability to population decline; (iii) there are few published records of this species in South Australia, and (iv) little is known of its relative abundance, biology, population dynamics, habitat requirements and ecology.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

The species occurs in southern Australia, ranging from the central coast of N.S.W., across the south coast (including northern and southern Tasmania), to W.A (George and Springer, 1980; Anonymous, 2001a, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2006; OZCAM database, 2007; B. Hutchins, pers. comm., 2007). Recent records in W.A. include Rottnest Island and Port Dennison, a northern extension of the previously published range in that State (Hutchins, 1994; G. Moore, unpubl. report, cited by B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2007).
The species is common in Port Phillip Bay (Kuiter 1993, 1996b).

South Australia

In S.A., the species has been recorded from locations such as northern and southern Kangaroo I., and mid-eastern Spencer Gulf (Glover, 1979; National Museum of Natural History record, cited by Anonymous, 2001, in Froese and Pauly, 2006; Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

The species occurs in sand habitats (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994), in shallow coastal estuaries with sand and seagrasses (Kuiter, 1996b).
In northern Tasmania, Sand Crawler has been recorded from tidal pools and other shallow waters between 0m – 2m (National Museum of Natural History records, cited by Anonymous, 2001).
S. dorsale has been recorded rarely on reefs in the Recherche Archipelago in south-western W.A. (Hutchins, 2005).

Notes on Biology and Behaviour

Growth

S. dorsale is reported to grow to 9.5cm (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Kuiter, 1996b).

Behaviour

The Sand Crawler buries itself in sand (and in sand patches near seagrass areas – Kuiter, 1996b), and crawls along through the sand, just below the surface, leaving a characteristic wavy trail in the sand (Kuiter, 1993). When the species is crawling, only the eyes are exposed above the sand, and S. dorsale leaps partly out of the sand, to feed on mysids (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Kuiter, 1996b).

Reproduction

The species forms mating pairs (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994, Figure 684b), which is a characteristic of Clinid fishes. Like other members of the family, the Sand Crawler is viviparous (Gunn and Thresher, 1991).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Members of the family are viviparous (bear live young), and therefore reproduce at a local, site-associated level, and have low dispersive ability, characteristics that can increase vulnerability to processes causing population decline.
Although there is insufficient information on the full depth range, the Sand Crawler may occur over a very narrow depth range in shallow subtidal waters.

Threatening Processes

Threatening processes are not well known for this species. It is possible that, given the apparent narrow depth range of the species in sandy habitats, dredging or other habitat disturbance of nearshore areas may impact on localised populations in some parts of the range, but there are no data.
The species is strongly site-associated with shallow coastal sand and seagrass beds (including estuarine areas), and other nearshore habitats. Estuaries are often subject to many pollutants, and other impacts that degrade water quality and habitat. Polluted estuarine areas can take a long time to recover as toxicants accumulate in their sediments (Pogonoski et al., 2002). The fact that most population centres in Australia are located within close proximity to coastal and/or estuarine environments means that estuarine habitats and their associated communities are often vulnerable to the effects of habitat degradation, and overexploitation by humans (Pogonoski et al., 2002). There are few pristine or near pristine estuaries remaining in South Australia, and most are subject to numerous impacts (see Bucher and Saenger, 1989; Lewis et al., 1998; Barnett, 2001; GeoScience Australia, 2001; Baker, 2004).

Research Requirements

As is the case with most other small, cryptic, sand-dwelling fishes, targeted surveys in nearshore habitats are required to better determine the distribution of this species (including its distribution within S.A.), as well as its habitat requirements and full depth range.
Very little is known of the biology and population dynamics of this species.

Other Information

S. dorsale is one of the two species of Sticharium, and both are confined to the southern coast of Australia (Kuiter, 1996b).
The genetic sequence of DNA in S. dorsale has been determined by C. Stepien, and published in NCBI GenBank Sequence Data Base.