© 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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Southern Longfin

Family Name:	Acanthoclinidae (or Plesiopidae subfamily Acanthoclininae)
Scientific Name:	Beliops xanthokrossos Hardy, 1985
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Included here because (i) Southern Longfin has a limited known distribution in S.A., based on very few records; (ii) members of the family are often territorial and have strong site attachment to reefs, characteristics that can make populations vulnerable to impacts; and (iii) little information exists about the biology and population dynamics of this very small fish species, and no surveys have been undertaken to estimate the full distribution, and relative abundance over its range.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

The species is known from Western Australia (Recherché Archipelago to Port Denison) and South Australia (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; Australian Museum records, 1978, cited in CSIRO, 2007).
Rottnest Island in W.A. is the type locality (Hardy, 1985; Hutchins and Smith, 1991).

South Australia

Examples of locations in S.A. in which the species has been recorded include Kangaroo Island, and possibly Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; Australian Museum records, 1978, cited in OZCAM database, 2007). There is also an unverified record from the southern Fleurieu Peninsula (J. Baker, unpubl. data, 2007).
To date, there are no registered records of B. xanthokrossos in the South Australian Museum (R. Foster, SAM, pers. comm., 2006).

Habitat

The species is found in shallow benthic habitats, from 3m to around 15m (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Southern Longfin occurs inshore, usually under rocks (Kuiter, 1996a) in reef areas (Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; Hutchins, 2005).

Notes on the Biology and Behaviour

Southern Longfin grows to around 2.6cm TL (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Two colour forms are known, which may indicate sexual dimorphism (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
The species is demersal (Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Members of the Acanthoclinidae lay benthic eggs, which have stalked, filament-bearing structures evenly distributed over the chorion (Mooi, 1990).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

The species is belongs to a family of fishes which are territorial and strongly site-associated (characteristics that increase the vulnerability of Plesiopid fish to impacts).
Southern Longfin is known from shallow, inshore reef areas. Any processes that reduce the habitat quality of such reefs, may indirectly affect species that rely upon such habitats, which would include the Southern Longfin.

Research Requirements

Very little is known about the Southern Longfin. More information is required on the distribution within S.A. (N.B. there are very few records), abundance, habitat requirements, biology, population dynamics and ecology of this small species.
It is not known whether the species breeds in S.A., or whether the few records of the species from S.A. represent extra-limital records of a south-western Australian species (B. Hutchins, pers. comm., 2006).