© 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 Sole / Southern Textile Sole

Family Name:	Soleidae
Scientific Name:	Aseraggodes haackeanus (Steindachner, 1883) = Solea haackeana Steindachner, 1883
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  The species is included here because (i) A. haackeanus is a south-western species that may have a limited geographic distribution within South Australia; (ii) the species occurs in the two gulfs of South Australia, in shallow sandy areas within a small depth range, and may thus be vulnerable to nearshore impacts; (iii) there is little existing information about the relative abundance, biology and population dynamics of this species across its range; (iv) the species is taken as bycatch in the prawn and rock lobster fisheries in S.A., but the numbers taken, and the potential impacts on Southern Sole populations, have not been investigated; and (v) very little is known of the relative abundance, biology, and population dynamics of this species.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

The species occurs in southern Australian waters, from Kangaroo Island in South Australia, to Perth in W.A. (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
The Southern Sole is considered to be “reasonably common” in Gulf St Vincent (GSV) (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994), which is the type locality; and “common in the South Australian gulfs, but not often seen elsewhere” (Edgar, 2000).
Examples of locations in S.A. where the species has been recorded, include the metropolitan area and other parts of GSV (including dredge records from the early 1900s, of specimens taken from the southern, western and south-western sides); the “heel” of Yorke Peninsula (e.g. Edithburgh, and other locations) and eastern Investigator Strait; Kangaroo I.; and central and far northern Spencer Gulf (Anonymous, 1999, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2006; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Carrick, 1997; Edgar, 2000; photograph by J. Lewis, October, 2005; Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

The Southern Sole lives in shallow waters (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994), from about 1m - 30m deep (Edgar, 2000), on / in sandy sediments.
At Israelite Bay in south-western W.A., A. haackeanus has been recorded in reef habitat (Hutchins, 2005).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

The species grows to 35cm (Edgar, 2000).

Diet

Soles eat small benthic fishes and invertebrates (e.g. crustaceans, molluscs and worms) (Grant, 1987; Kuiter, 2000).

Reproduction

Members of the Soleidae live on the sea floor, but are pelagic spawners, with pelagic eggs (Breder and Rosen, 1966, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Soles can congregate in large numbers, and are known to move from deeper water to the shallows, including estuaries, for spawning during summer (Ogilby, 1916, cited by Randall, 2005). 

Fisheries Information

Commercial

In S.A., the species has been recorded as a minor component of bycatch in the Spencer Gulf prawn trawl fishery. For example, 12 Southern Soles were recorded from 32 trawl tows, in a sampling program during the mid 1990s (Carrick, 1997).
In S.A., Aseraggodes haackeanus is a by-product in the Rock Lobster Fishery, and is permitted to be retained for sale (Sloan, 2003a).
Soles are caught commercially in W.A. in low numbers. Species-specific information is not available for this report. During 2001 to 2005, the annual catch of soles (in both Cynoglossidae and Soleidae families) from fisheries in W.A., ranged between approximately 800 kg and 1.1 tonnes (Fisheries Research Division, W.A. Department of Fisheries, 2002, 2004f, 2005c, 2006c).

Recreational

Recent recreational survey catch statistics (Henry and Lyle, 2003) group recreational catches of soles with flounders and other flatfish, and summary statistics are provided in the section above on Soleidae and Pleuronectidae.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

A. haackeanus has a limited geographic range, being restricted to S.A. and W.A., with central South Australia being the eastern edge of the Southern Sole’s range.
Southern Sole occurs in shallow coastal waters, has a small depth range, and populations in some areas may thus be vulnerable to impacts, particularly in the gulfs region of S.A., where benthic habitats have been degraded (due to prawn trawling for example – e.g. see Tanner, 2003, 2005).
The species is taken as bycatch by prawn trawlers, and as by-product in the South Australian rock lobster fishery; however the extent to which these practices directly and indirectly impact upon Southern Sole populations is not known.

Research Requirements

More information is required on the current geographical distribution of this species. In particular, surveys are required, in conjunction with analysis of bycatch data, to determine whether the range of this species in S.A. is restricted to the gulfs region, or whether the Southern Sole also occurs along the west coast of S.A. / eastern Great Australian Bight.
More information is required on the depth distribution and habitat requirements of Southern Sole.
There is little existing information about the relative abundance, biology and population dynamics of this species across its range.

Management Requirements

Documentation and quantification of sole bycatch in fisheries across the range is required.
In S.A., a system should be developed for the ongoing collection and monitoring of bycatch data from the Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery and the West Coast Prawn Fishery (as currently occurs in the Spencer Gulf Prawn Trawl Fishery), sufficient to enable identification of long-term trends in bycatch (Australian Government DEH, 2004b).
Measures (such as improvements in net design) to reduce the bycatch of benthic fish species in all trawl fisheries should be implemented. Similarly, where possible, pot designs that limit the entry of benthic fish species should be adopted in fisheries for rock lobster.  
Recreational fishing limits for flounder in S.A. should be amended to include soles, if those bag and boat limits do not presently include the latter group.  

Other Information

The taxonomy of the Aseraggodes haackeanus species complex is being reviewed by M. Gomon, Museum of Victoria.