© 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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Spotted Snake-blenny / Spotted Snake Blenny

Family Name:	Clinidae / Ophiclinidae
Scientific Name:	Ophiclinops pardalis (McCulloch & Waite, 1918)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Near Threatened
Rationale:  Spotted Snake-blenny is included here because (i) it appears to be endemic to S.A., and thus has a restricted distribution; (ii) it is a benthic species with strong habitat association, and found over a narrow depth range, and may thus be vulnerable to habitat impacts in some areas (such as physical disturbance to habitat and siltation from dredging, channel development, boating in shallow water; also sediment- and effluent-induced dieback of seagrasses and macroalgae etc), but specific data are lacking; (iii) members of the Clinidae family are viviparous, and therefore have low dispersive ability, a characteristic that can increase vulnerability to processes causing population decline; and (iv) very little is known of the full distribution, relative abundance and biology of this species. Spotted Snake-blenny might be considered Near Threatened in S.A. because of its endemic status, and ongoing threatening processes (particularly degradation of estuaries, nearshore seagrass, and macroalgae-covered reefs, in some areas), but there are no specific data.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No formal listings known, but it is noted that Pogonoski et al. (2002) classified the related species Earspot Snake-blenny Ophiclinops hutchinsi as Data Deficient

Distribution

Spotted Snake-blenny O. pardalis may be endemic within South Australia. Examples of locations where the species has been recorded include Davenport Creek and Streaky Bay on the west coast of S.A.; far northern Spencer Gulf (e.g. Chinaman Creek); northern Spencer Gulf (e.g. deeper waters between Port Davis and False Bay; Port Pirie area, and Weeroona Island); south-western Spencer Gulf (e.g. Tumby Bay); eastern Spencer Gulf (Port Hughes, and Port Victoria area); estuarine area near the “heel” of Yorke Peninsula, and other locations in the vicinity (e.g. Sultana Point); Gulf St Vincent (e.g. Port Adelaide area); southern Kangaroo Island, and the bays of north-eastern Kangaroo I., including the American River / Pelican Lagoon area (P. Smith, unpubl. data, 1976; Fricke, 1994; Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Kuiter, 1996a; Anonymous, 2001a; B. McDonald, unpubl. data, cited by Brook, 2002; P. Jennings, SARDI, unpubl. data, 2003; Australian Anglers Association, 2005; Australian Museum records, W.A. Museum record, Museum of Victoria records, S.A. Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; S.A. Museum data, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2007).
The holotype was collected in Streaky Bay, on the west coast of S.A. (McCulloch and Waite, 1918, cited by Eschmeyer, 2001; S.A. Museum record F00600, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

O. pardalis is found within plant litter at the base of (and amongst) roots of seagrass (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994), and mixed rock, seagrass and weed (macroalgae) habitat, under seagrass mats or rocks (Kuiter, 1996a). In northern Spencer Gulf, the species has been recorded near a mangrove-lined creek (Museum of Victoria records, 1984, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
Specimens have been recorded from beam trawl sampling of seagrass beds in Spencer Gulf (B. McDonald, unpubl. data, cited by Brook, 2002). In Spencer Gulf, the species has been recorded to at least 17m deep (e.g. P. Jennings, SARDI, unpubl. data, 2002).

Notes on the Biology

O. pardalis grows to around 7cm (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994).
One of the largest weights recorded is about 0.028kg, being a specimen caught at Port Hughes, in 1970 (Australian Anglers Association, 2005).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species

The species has a geographically restricted distribution (known from South Australia).
The species is strongly site-associated in shallow coastal habitats with seagrass and macroalgae, and processes which damage such habitats may adversely affect populations of Clinid species.
Members of the Clinidae (the family to which Ophiclinops belongs) are viviparous (bear live young), and therefore have low dispersive ability, a characteristic that can increase vulnerability to processes causing population decline.

Threatening Processes

The species occurs in estuarine areas and shallow bays, in seagrass litter / mats, and any processes or developments that degrade estuaries, including processes that reduce the coverage and abundance of such litter (or the seagrass beds that produce it), may also adversely affect this species. It is noted that O. pardalis has also been recorded in nearshore reef habitats, and therefore degradation of reefs in some areas might also be a threatening process, but there are no specific data on the effects of reef degradation on clinid species.

Research Requirements

Specific surveys are required to better determine the distribution and relative abundance of Snake-blenny species across the range, including South Australia.
The taxonomic identity of specimens from the GAB and southern W.A. should be ascertained. According to Pogonoski et al. (2002, citing Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994), O. pardalis may prove to be the same as the Earspot Snake-blenny Ophiclinops hutchinsi (George and Springer, 1980) from the Recherche Archipelago in W.A.. Specimens between western S.A. and south-western W.A. should be examined; however, since there are considerable differences between individuals from S.A. and W.A., the two populations are considered to be separate species until shown otherwise (Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994, cited by Pogonoski et al., 2002).
There is very little information on the biology of this species. Information on the distribution, relative abundance, habitat requirements and biology may help in better determining the susceptibility of snake-blennies to threats such as habitat degradation. However, the difficulty of determining distribution and relative abundance of small, cryptic, benthic species such as snake-blennies is noted.

Management Requirements

Generally, protection from degradation is required for areas of nearshore seagrass and reef in which this species may reside. In particular, seagrass degradation is on ongoing concern in northern Spencer Gulf (see review in Baker, 2004) and north-eastern Gulf St Vincent (review in Baker, 2004; Gillanders et al. 2008), and both regions provide habitat for this strongly site-associated species.

Support for S.A. Listing:

Graham Edgar (University of Tasmania), under Data Deficient category