© 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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Scarlet Cardinalfish

Family Name:	Apogonidae
Scientific Name:	Vincentia badia Allen, 1987
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  The Scarlet Cardinalfish is included here because (i) Vincentia cardinalfishes are benthic, mouth-brooding species with localised reproduction, found on reefs, mostly over a limited depth range in upper continental shelf waters; all of these characteristics may increase the vulnerability of such species to site-specific impacts; (ii) the species is part of the bycatch in prawn trawl fisheries, but no risk assessments have been undertaken; and (iii) little is known of the biology and population dynamics of this species, or of its distribution and relative abundance in South Australia.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

The species occurs in South Australia and Western Australia. In W.A., specimens have been recorded as far north as Port Denison and the Houtman Abrolhos area (Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; W.A. Museum, 2003).

South Australia

In S.A., examples of locations where V. badia has been recorded include Gulf St Vincent (e.g. outer reef at Glenelg), southern Fleurieu / Backstairs Passage area (including a paratype specimen from Cape Jervis), Investigator Strait / northern and north-eastern Kangaroo Island, and parts of northern Spencer Gulf, central and eastern Spencer Gulf (including a paratype specimen from Point Riley), south-eastern, south-western and southern Spencer Gulf (including the Port Lincoln area) (Paxton et al., 1989; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; unpubl. SARDI data by P. Jennings, 1993; photographs by J. Lewis, 2004; photographs by D. Muirhead, 2004; R. Foster, South Australian Museum, pers. comm., 2006; Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; Duyverman, unpubl. data, cited by Sheperd et al., 2008; Currie and Sorokin, 2010).
There are South Australian Museum records of Vincentia species that may include V. badia, previously misidentified as V. novaehollandiae. Examples of locations where these specimens were found include Troubridge Island, at the bottom of Gulf St Vincent; western Spencer Gulf (e.g. Tumby Bay); southeastern Spencer Gulf coast and islands; western Eyre Peninsula (e.g. Smoky Bay); and the lower southeast (S.A. Museum records, 1905, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1969, and 1975).

Habitat

Scarlet Cardinalfish is usually found beneath ledges, and in caves (Gomon, in Gomon et al. 1994), but is not restricted to such habitat.
In both South Australia and south-western Australia, V. badia has been recorded in reef habitat (e.g. low, calcareous reefs with shell debris, sponges and sand), and also in softer bottom habitat, that has been worked by benthic trawl / dredge (Hutchins, 2005; Currie and Sorokin, 2010).
The previously published depth range was 1m – 20m (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994); however it has been photographed at 21m in Gulf St Vincent (record by D. Muirhead, 2004); also, a specimen reported to be V. badia, was collected from about 30m deep, in central Spencer Gulf (Museum of Victoria record, 2005), and a South Australian Museum specimen (F10711) from 10 nautical miles east of Kingscote (northern Kangaroo I.) was taken by epibenthic sled at 92m (R. Foster, S.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006). During a trawl survey of Spencer Gulf, at least 43 specimens were recorded, over a depth range of 13m - 44m (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Notes on the Biology and Behaviour

Growth

V. badia grows to around 10cm (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Diet and Feeding Behaviour

Species of Vincentia usually remain hidden during the day, within crevices and gaps in rocky reef, and come out at night to feed on small shrimps and other crustaceans (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
During a survey in Spencer Gulf, the guts of 13 specimens were examined, and found to contain mainly gammarid crustaceans (78%), with minor quantities of polychaete worms (7%), isopods (5%), ostracods and unidentified micro-crustacea (Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Reproduction

In Vincentia, there is reported to be a distinct pairing during courtship and spawning (Breder and Rosen, 1966, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Members of the Apogonidae have demersal eggs with adhesive filaments (Mooi, 1990).
The eggs of Vincentia species are incubated in the mouth of the males until they hatch, improving the young’s chances of survival (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
At Port Hughes in S.A., one diver (J. Lewis) has photographed a male V. badia brooding eggs inside its mouth, resting inside a Pinna shell.

Fisheries Information

Scarlet Cardinalfish V. badia has been recorded as part of the bycatch in the Spencer Gulf prawn trawl fishery (Museum of Victoria specimen, 2005, cited in OZCAM database, 2006). During a research survey in 2007, this species was recorded in otter trawl catch from numerous parts of northern, central and southern Spencer Gulf (Currie and Sorokin, 2010), including grounds worked periodically by prawn trawlers.
Cardinalfishes in the families Apogonidae are amongst the top 40 of about 250 fish species taken commercially in W.A. for the aquarium trade. During the period 2000 – 2003, the annual average catch was 24,084 specimens, all unspecified (W.A. Department of Fisheries, 2004b). The number of Scarlet Cardinalfish taken in this fishery is not known for this report, because cardinalfish catches are not reported at species level.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

Scarlet Cardinalfish has been recorded over a limited depth range on subtidal reefs. The apparent narrow depth range increases the vulnerability of such site-associated species to localised impacts. Although the cave-dwelling habit of a portion of the population would help to protect this species from impacts, Vincentia badia is also found in shallow, nearshore macroalgae, and in soft bottom habitats with sponges and shells. In some parts of its range, such nearshore habitats are subject to damaging processes, such as eutrophication, sedimentation, physical damage from dredging and near-shore developments etc (e.g. see Cheshire et al., 1998; Cheshire and Westphalen, 2000; Smith, 2000, cited by EPA S.A., 2003; Turner and Cheshire, 2002; Baker, 2004), and also trawling impacts (e.g. in Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent in South Australia).
Vincentia cardinalfish are benthic species, and the males are mouth-brooders (Allen, 1999). Therefore, reproduction is localised, and dispersal may be limited. Localised reproduction increases the vulnerability of species to site-associated impacts.
The central South Australian coast is recorded as being the edge of the geographic distribution of Scarlet Cardinalfish.

Threatening Processes

Processes that degrade nearshore reefs (e.g. dredging, removal of rocks, shelly material and vegetation, sedimentation, eutrophication from coastal discharges etc) may adversely affect site-associated benthic fish species; however no specific data are available on the effects of such habitat degradation on Vincentia populations.
Trawling may be a threatening process, but more data (and a risk assessment) are required. Generally, populations of species in the Apogonidae are considered to be adversely affected by trawling (see Stobutski et al., 2001); however there is no specific information as to the effects of trawl bycatch on V. badia populations, even though this species is part of the prawn trawl byvatch in South Australia.
Over time, populations of nearshore benthic species of apparently limited depth range and limited dispersal ability may be adversely affected by oceanic warming; however there are no specific data.

Research Requirements

More information is required on the Scarlet Cardinalfish’s geographic distribution (particularly within S.A.), depth range, relative abundance or rarity, habitat requirements, and biology.
Taxonomic work is required to determine the number of Vincentia taxa in South Australia. It is noted that are South Australian specimens that are not easily identified as either V. badia or V. conspersa using the currently available descriptions and keys. It is not known whether this is due to the inadequacy of the keys, or perhaps indicative of hybridisation or the presence of cryptic taxa (R. Foster, South Australian Museum, pers. comm., 2006).
If possible, cardinalfish catches in trawl fisheries should be recorded to species level, through a bycatch observer program, so that an estimate of the catch over space and time can be made. This would help to improve knowledge of the distribution and relative abundance of the less commonly recorded species in the family, as well as assisting an assessment of threatening processes.
In W.A., commercial catches of cardinalfishes for the aquarium industry should be recorded to species level.

Management Requirements

Where possible, measures to reduce the bycatch of cardinalfish in trawl fisheries are required, including prawn trawl fisheries in South Australia.
Ongoing efforts are required to reduce the levels of degrading processes that affect nearshore reefs, and to restore such habitats.
In W.A., if Vincentia species are part of the cardinalfish catch for the aquarium industry, an assessment of the populations, and sustainability of this practice, should be undertaken.

Other Information

The species, which is distributed in the western portion of Australia’s south coast, closely resembles the Southern Cardinalfish V. conspersa, which occurs mostly along the eastern portion (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Support for S.A. listing:

B. McDonald, DEH, South Australia