© 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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Sponge Anglerfish

Family Name:	Antennariidae
Scientific Name:	Echinophryne reynoldsi Pietsch and Kuiter, 1984
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Sponge Anglerfish is included here because (i) the species appears to have a narrow depth range, and is associated with sponges on shallow subtidal reefs (and other hard structures in the nearshore area), which can increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific coastal impacts, including habitat damage; (ii) shallow water temperate anglerfishes in general are potentially vulnerable to population decline, due to their strong site association, low fecundity, benthic reproduction and (probably) restricted dispersal ability; (iii) some temperate anglerfishes are sought after in the specialist aquarium trade, which may cause localised population depletion, but there is no information about whether or not Sponge Anglerfish is taken for this trade; and (iv) there is little information on the distribution and relative abundance or rarity in the southern part of the range (including S.A.), and few data on the specific habitat requirements and biology of this species.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

E. reynoldsi is found in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and southern Western Australia (e.g. Recherche Archipelago) (Paxton et al., 1989; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Hutchins, 2005).
The type locality is Portsea Hole in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria (Pietsch and Kuiter, 1984), and the presumed eastern limit of the species is Wilsons Promontory (Plummer et al., 2003).

South Australia

In South Australia, published and verified records have come from the gulfs region. Surveys have not been undertaken to ascertain whether or not the species occurs east or west of that region, in other parts of the State (see note below).
Examples of locations in South Australia where the species has been recorded include the southern Fleurieu Peninsula; waters off Innes National Park (“toe” of Yorke Peninsula), and Edithburgh Jetty, Edithburgh “Pool” and other locations around the “heel” of Yorke Peninsula (specimens photographed in situ by J. Lewis, August 2003, January 2005, and September, 2005; South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; South Australian Museum data, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2007).
One of the type specimens was collected in 1970, at Pondalowie Bay, southern Yorke Peninsula (South Australian Museum record, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
There are unverified dive records from Port MacDonnell, in the southeast of S.A.

Habitat

The species is found inshore (Paxton et al., 1989, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2006).
Sponge Anglerfish has been recorded in shallow waters (e.g. 3m – 20m), in habitats where sponges that match its colour exist (Kuiter, 1993, 2000; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994; Kuiter, 1996a; South Australian Museum records, Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2004, 2007). The species has been recorded inside large, exposed sponges; also in the vicinity of sponges growing under cave overhangs (Kuiter, 1993, 2000), and in the vicinity of shell rubble (photographs by J. Lewis, 2003, 2005).
In southwestern Australia, the species has been recorded on reefs in coastal bays (Hutchins, 2005).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

This small species grows to around 8cm (Kuiter, 1993; Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Diet

There is a South Australian Museum record of a Sponge Anglerfish specimen that regurgitated a squat lobster (Galatheidae) when it was collected (from under Edithburgh Jetty, in 1991).

Reproduction

Species of Echinophryne are reported to be oviparous. Eggs are produced in a gelatinous mass, where they remain embedded until hatching (Breder and Rosen, 1966, and Thresher, 1984, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).

Other Information

Sponge Anglerfish is a cryptic species that is variable in colour, ranging from pale yellow to orange-brown or red, with irregular greyish-white patches around the head and body. Specimens often have numerous small ocelli (with brown centres and yellow or white borders) on the body and fins (Pietsch, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

The species appears to have a narrow depth range in upper continental shelf waters, and a restricted habitat – i.e. found only in the vicinity of particular sponges, against which it is camouflaged.
Anglerfishes have low fecundity, benthic reproduction and restricted larval dispersal, which are characteristics that increase the vulnerability of such fishes to population decline (e.g. see Pogonoski et al., 2002, for information on the vulnerability of other fish families with similar reproductive characteristics).

Threatening Processes

Any processes that result in removal of sponges (e.g. trawling; coastal dredging; land-based discharges that cause sedimentation and / or eutrophication; benthic damage due to excessive and unregulated diving) might also adversely affect populations of this species, which appear to rely upon sponge habitats.
Some temperate anglerfishes are sought after in the specialist aquarium trade (which may cause localised population depletion), but there is no information on the capture of this species in southern Australia for that purpose.

Research Requirements

There is little information on the distribution, relative abundance or rarity, habitat, depth range, and biology of this species.
Published and verified S.A. records are from the gulfs region. Surveys are required to ascertain whether the species has a wider distribution within the South Australian part of the range.
Marine photographers with an interest in the less common anglerfishes should be encouraged to provide their photographs (with date, and location) to museums in southern Australia, for positive identification, and to assist with the records bank for such species.

Other Information

The Sponge Anglerfish appears to live only in the vicinity of the orange or yellow sponges that match it in colour (Gomon et al., 1994).