© 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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Splendid Perch

Family Name:	Callanthiidae (previously Serranidae)
Scientific Name:	Callanthias australis Ogilby, 1899
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Near Threatened
Rationale:  Splendid Perch is included here because (i) it is an aggregating species which is strongly site-associated with reefs, and both characteristics can increase the vulnerability of populations to localised impacts; (ii) although the species has a broad geographic distribution and broad depth range, it appears to have a limited known distribution within S.A., being recorded mainly in the Great Australian Bight; (iii) the family in which Splendid Perch is placed, is closely related to the Serranidae, a family of fish which generally have vulnerable population characteristics such as strong site association, slow growth, relatively long life span, low natural mortality, relatively low reproductive capacity, and distinct population structure, including protogynous hermaphroditism; (iv) the species are part of the bycatch in State- and Commonwealth-managed fisheries, with tonnes per annum taken in Commonwealth waters, and no limitations on catch; (v) there is a paucity of information about population sizes, biology, and population dynamics, and (vi) in both the South East Trawl Fishery and the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery, the species has been classified as being at “medium risk” of population impacts due to trawl capture.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

General

Splendid Perch C. australis is found in southern Australia (from N.S.W. through to southern W.A.), New Zealand; Kermandec Islands; the Chesterfield Island region (New Caledonia) (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Anderson Jr, 1999, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; CSIRO et al., 2001).
In New Zealand, Francis (1996) categorised C. australis as a warm temperate species and the closely related C. allporti as a cool temperate species, with little overlap in the distribution, other than north-west side of the South Island.
It is noted that C. australis has also been reported from off Rockhampton in Queensland (Anderson Jr, 1999, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007). It is also noted that some Australian fisheries references report that Splendid Perch or Rosy Perch occurs only in southern Queensland and New South Wales (e.g. Sea-Ex Australia, 2004).

South Australia

Examples of locations in S.A. where Splendid Perch / Rosy Perch have been recorded include the head of the Great Australian Bight (including the GAB Marine Park - South Australian Museum record, collected by SARDI, 2002, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2006), and deeper, outer continental shelf waters across the western, central and eastern GAB, from where the majority of specimen records have come (CSIRO Marine Research records, cited in CSIRO, 2006).

Habitat

Splendid Perch occur in schools, mainly in offshore waters of the continental shelf, where they are associated with deeper rocky reefs, sea mounts and islands (Kuiter, 1996a; Neira et al., 1998, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
In south-western W.A., Harvey et al. (2004) recorded “Splendid Perch” (reported to be C. australis or C. allporti) on reefs covered with dense macroalgae and medium-dense macroalgae.
C. australis is reported to be a schooling species that seeks the cover of caves and crevices, at night and when disturbed (Anderson Jr, 1999).
Juveniles sometimes occur on clear coastal reefs, including inshore waters at depth of 10m to 20m (Australian Museum 2005l), but adults are rarely seen in waters less than about 25m, apart from a few notable locations in N.S.W., Victoria and Tasmania (Kuiter, 1996a).
In New Zealand, Callanthias is reportedly found in deep, clear waters around offshore islands and pinnacles, often in association with Pink Maomao (Caprodon longimanus), between 30m and 80m. A study of nearshore reef fish in New Zealand (Brook, 2002), found that Callanthias australis occurred mainly below 30m. At the Poor Knights Islands, divers report that schools of Splendid Perch (as well as solitary individuals) are often observed near a vertical reef “wall” that is covered with gorgonian corals, soft corals, sponges, hydroids and bryozoans. In deeper waters (e.g. 80m – 90m) out from the Poor Knights, divers have reported large schools of Splendid Perch in the vicinity of “The Black Forest” (where large, black coral “tree” skeletons occur).
There is discrepancy in the published depth range of C. australis. One published depth range of C. australis is 17m – 180m (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Edgar, 2000). Another is 15m – 365m (Anderson Jr, 1999). It is noted that CSIRO Marine Research in Hobart, and the Museum of Victoria, both house specimen records from the West Norfolk Ridge (north-west of New Zealand), collected in 2003, of Callanthias australis taken at 254m deep. There are also records of Splendid Perch specimens taken south of Cape Everard in Victoria, at 206m (CSIRO Marine Research records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

There is some discrepancy in the published size, according to various sources. Kuiter (in Gomon et al., 1994), Hutchins and Swainston (1986 and 2001), and Edgar (2000) reported that C. australis grows to about 48cm or 49cm. Kuiter (1996a) reported that the species is more often seen at about 30cm or less, and an account of the Callanthiidae family reported that C. australis grows to about 30cm total length (Anderson Jr, 1999).
To date, the published maximum size of Splendid Perch is 1.899kg, being a specimen caught in N.S.W., in 1983 (Hutchins and Swainston, 2001; New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, 2003).

Diet

Splendid Perch eat small crustaceans in the zooplankton (Anderson Jr, 1999; Edgar, 2000; Doak, undated).

Reproduction

Larvae become increasingly abundant in April and May (Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994). Larvae settle to the bottom when greater than 7.6 mm BL (Neira et al., 1998, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Like members of the closely related Serranidae family, Callanthias species are reported to “probably” be protogynous hermaphrodites (whereby individuals start life as a female and then change sex to reproduce as a male) (Anderson Jr, 1999).

Other Information

Splendid Perch sleep at night in caves and crevices, and also seek such shelter when disturbed (Anderson, 1999, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Splendid Perch is a schooling species (Australian Museum, 2005l).

Fisheries and Trade Information

Southern Australia - Commercial

Hutchins and Swainston (1986, 2001) listed the Splendid Perch as being “good eating”. The species is sometimes sold through fish markets in the eastern States (e.g. Sydney Fish Market).
When taken outside of 3 nautical miles (NM) from the coast, catches of Splendid Perch / Rosy Perch are managed by the Commonwealth (and when taken inside 3 NM, are managed by the States) (AFMA, 2002a).
Splendid Perch is taken as byproduct in the South East Trawl fishery (SETF). Fishers’ logbooks in the SETF recorded a catch of 9.1t of Splendid Perch during the year 2000/01, and almost all of the catch was retained (AFMA, 2002a). ). In the otter trawl sub-fishery of the SETF, an Integrated Scientific Monitoring Program (ISMP) reported that in 140 trawl shots, 2.1 tonnes of C. australis were retained (an average of 15kg per trawl shot), and 11kg were discarded (Wayte et al., 2004).
There are numerous museum records of Splendid Perch specimens that were taken by commercial fishing in the outer Port Phillip Bay / Bass Strait area (Anonymous, 2002b, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Bycatch sampling in the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery reported by Brown and Knuckey (2002) showed that Splendid Perch were caught in incidental quantities during the sampling periods in 2000 and 2001. During the sampling period, the species was observed in 11 of the 209 trawl shots; the average quantity discarded was 0.6kg per trawl shot (Brown and Knuckey, 2002).
Catches of Splendid Perch from Commonwealth-managed waters during the 1990s are listed below (Table 2), according to statistics from BRS’s National Fisheries Production Database (NFPD) (BRS, 2004a).

Table 2 Splendid Perch: Total Reported Catch from Australian Waters, 1990 - 1999
Year	Catch (t)
1990/91	0
1991/92	10
1992/93	21
1993/94	10
1994/95	17
1995/96	14
1996/97	17
1997/98	22
1998/99	11
(from BRS, 2004a)

In Tasmania, under the Tasmanian Fisheries (Scalefish) Rules 2004, Regulation 100, there is a commercial fishing possession limitation of a maximum of 3 C. australis per licence holder per day, due to the development of a separate aquarium trade (see below).
C. australis is sold in the aquarium market, and collected in Tasmania for that purpose. The permitted total annual catch limit is 150 individuals, with a fishing block limit (6 x 6 nautical miles) of 25 individuals (DPIWE Tasmania, 2005b; Australian Government DEH, 2005b).  There is a also supply company in New South Wales that provides Splendid Perch specimens for home and business office aquariums.

Southern Australia - Recreational

Splendid Perch are taken by recreational fishers in some areas. Some clubs and associations keep records of the maximum sizes caught (e.g. New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, 2003).
There are no recreational fishing statistics available for this report. It is noted that the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (Henry and Lyle, 2003) reported that about 20,000 “perch – (marine) unspecified” specimens were caught and kept by recreational fishers during the survey time period (May 2000 to April 2001), and it is possible that a small proportion of the catch included Callanthias.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

Splendid Perch is an aggregating species which is strongly site-associated with reefs, and both characteristics can increase the vulnerability of this species to capture.
Although the species has a broad geographic distribution and broad depth range, it appears to have a limited known distribution within S.A., being recorded mainly in the Great Australian Bight.
The Callanthiidae family, in which Callanthias is now placed, is related to the Serranidae, a family of fish which generally have vulnerable population characteristics such as strong site association, slow growth, relatively long life span, low natural mortality, relatively low reproductive capacity, and distinct population structure, including protogynous hermaphroditism.
The species is part of the bycatch in Commonwealth-managed fisheries. In a draft ecological risk assessment of the South East Trawl and Danish Seine Fishery (Wayte et al., 2004), 3 “productivity attributes” and 6 “attributes of susceptibility” for Splendid Perch were used to categorise it as a “medium risk” species, i.e. one of the species that is susceptible to population impacts from trawling. Similarly, in the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery, Callanthias australis is listed as being at “medium risk” of population impacts from trawling (Daley et al., 2006).

Research Requirements

The common names “Splendid Perch” and “Rosy Perch” have been used interchangeably in the literature on the two species C. australis and C. allporti, and standardisation is required.
More information is required on the biology, population dynamics and habitat of C. australis.
The presence of this species in fisheries bycatch should be recorded over space and time in southern Australia.

Management Requirements

Given the potential vulnerability of this species (due to its life history characteristics), limitations in commercial and recreational are required. Currently, there are no catch restrictions in any State, and there are concessions in Commonwealth waters to permit the catch of this species with no restrictions on yield.
Marine protected areas are beneficial for conserving populations of large, site-associated species, and due consideration should be given to the formal protection of some reef areas in which this species occurs.

Other Information

Splendid Perch occur in a number of marine reserves in New Zealand, such as the Fiordland reserves, and the Poor Knights Islands (Denny et al., 2003; Doak, undated), where spawning adults and also small juveniles (5cm – 6cm) have been observed (Abbott, undated).
C. australis has been recorded in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (SARDI data, cited by R. Foster, South Australian Museum, 2006).
In W.A., a third Callanthias species has been reported form continental slope waters (Williams et al., 1996, cited by Western Australian Museum, 2003).