© 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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Tasselled Weedfish / Large-Eye Weedfish

Family Name:	Clinidae
Scientific Name:	Heteroclinus macrophthalmus Hoese, 1976
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Tasselled Weedfish is included here because (i) the species is strongly site-associated in nearshore habitats, may occur over a narrow depth range, and may thus be vulnerable to habitat impacts in some areas (such as degradation of nearshore macroalgae-covered reefs and seagrass beds), but there are no specific data; (ii) Clinids reproduce at a small, site-associated scale (and have live young), characteristics that may increase the species vulnerability to population decline; (iii) the full geographic range is not known due to lack of published records; and (iv) there is little knowledge of population sizes within the range (including in South Australia), and very little is known of the biology and population dynamics.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

Recorded from a small number of places along the southern Australian coast, from the Recherche Archipelago in W.A., to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, and also found in northern Tasmania (Hoese, 1976; Kuiter 1993 and 1996b; Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; Hutchins, 2005).

South Australia

In South Australia, the species is known from the S.A. gulfs region (Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent), Kangaroo Island, and Encounter Bay (e.g. West Island Aquatic Reserve); however, until recently, there were few published records (e.g. Australian Museum record; South Australian Museum records; Museum of Victoria record, cited in OZCAM database, 2008).
Port Lincoln in south-western Spencer Gulf is the type locality (Museum of Victoria record, 1969; Eschmeyer, 2001).
There are recent survey records of this species from the Port Lincoln area in south-western Spencer Gulf, and also from eastern Kangaroo I. (e.g. Antechamber Bay) (South Australia Museum data, 2006); Sturt Bay off southern Yorke Peninsula (South Australian Museum data, 2003, cited by T. Bertozzi, pers. comm., 2005); Stansbury, in western Gulf St Vincent (K. Smith, unpubl. data, 2003, 2004); and Wattle Point and Sultana Point (south-western GSV / “heel” of Yorke Peninsula) (S.A. Museum data, 2006, cited by R. Foster, pers. comm., 2006).

Habitat

To date, the species has been recorded in shallow seagrass beds and on rocky reefs covered with dense macroalgae, from the intertidal to about 18m (Kuiter, 1993, 1996b; Hoese et al., in Gomon et al., 1994; S.A. Museum and Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2008).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

H. macrophthalmus grows to around 10cm (Kuiter, 1993, 1996b).
No estimates of longevity were found for this report; however, it is noted that post-settlement growth is rapid, and a study of 12 weedfish species in south-eastern Australia showed that most of the reproductive populations consist of fishes in the 1 + year-class (Gunn and Thresher, 1991).

Reproduction

Temperate weedfishes are viviparous, many are “super-foetate” (simultaneously developing multiple batches of eggs and/or embryo) and reproduce over several months in spring and summer (Gunn and Thresher, 1991). Maternal investment in the nutrition of the young is high. After parturition, the larvae spend from 3 to 7 weeks in the plankton, primarily in in-shore waters (Gunn and Thresher, 1991).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

Members of the Clinidae are site-associated in coastal reef areas of with macroalgae, and processes which damage such habitats may adversely affect populations of clinid species.
Members of the family are viviparous (bear live young), and therefore reproduce at a local, site-associated level, and have low dispersive ability, characteristics that can increase vulnerability to processes causing population decline.

Research Requirements

Very little is known of the population sizes within the range (including S.A.), and the biology and population dynamics. Information on the distribution, relative abundance, habitat requirements and biology may help in better determining the susceptibility of weedfishes to threats such as habitat degradation. However, the difficulty of determining distribution and relative abundance of small, cryptic, benthic species such as weedfishes is noted.

Management Requirements

Tasselled Weedfish is site-associated in nearshore habitats. Habitat protection is required from processes that degrade the quality of nearshore seagrass beds and nearshore reefs (and associated macroalgae) (e.g. physical damage from dredging / channel clearing, shallow water boating etc; and also eutrophication; siltation etc).

Other Information

Hoese et al. (in Gomon et al., 1994) considered the species to be rare.