© 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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Western Kelpfish / Tasselled Kelpfish

Family Name:	Chironemidae
Scientific Name:	Chironemus georgianus Cuvier, 1829
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Although the Western Kelpfish has a broad geographic range (across southern Australia), it is included here because (i) it is a site-associated reef fish found over a limited depth range in shallow continental shelf waters, which may increase its vulnerability to localised reef impacts in some areas; (ii) it is a minor bycatch species of rock lobster fishing, and is also occasionally taken by recreational fishers, but there are few data on fishing mortality, and no comment can be made on potential population impacts, partly due to the paucity of data on abundance; and (iii) information is lacking on population sizes / relative abundance, biology and populations dynamics of this species across the range.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

The Western Kelpfish is broadly distributed across southern Australia, from eastern Victoria, through to southern W.A., and the distribution includes Tasmania (Hutchins and Thompson, 1983; Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum records, and Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

South Australia

Examples of locations in S.A. where the Western Kelpfish has been recorded include Pearson I. and Ward I. in the Investigator Group (eastern Great Australian Bight); northern and southern Kangaroo Island; southern Eyre Peninsula, eastern Spencer Gulf, southern Fleurieu Peninsula, and Encounter Bay area (Scott, 1954; Kuiter, 1982; Branden et al., 1986; Australian Anglers Association, 2004; Australian Museum records, South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
The holotype of Threpterius chalceus (= Chironemus georgianus) was collected from Kangaroo Island in 1951 (Scott, 1954; South Australian Museum data, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

The Western Kelpfish is found on shallow, wave-exposed coastal reefs, hidden in macroalgae; also in caves and under ledges (Hutchins and Thompson, 1983; Kuiter, 1982, 1993; Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994; Edgar, 2000). Recent surveys in south-western Australia recorded this species on reefs covered with dense macroalgae (Harvey et al., 2004).
The Western Kelpfish has also been recorded under piers / jetties and near breakwaters (Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007), and also in estuarine areas (e.g. Gippsland Lakes - Museum of Victoria records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
The closely related Eastern Kelpfish (from N.S.W., Victoria and NZ) has a depth range of 0m to about 20m in southern Australia (Edgar, 2000) or to 30m in New Zealand (Paulin and Roberts, 1992), and the Western Kelpfish in southern Australia is likely also to be restricted to such depths.

Notes on the Biology

Growth

C. georgianus grows to about 20cm or 21cm (Scott et al., 1974; Hutchins and Thompson, 1983; Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Kuiter, in Gomon et al., 1994).
The maximum size of a captured specimen is 0.140 kg, being a specimen taken from Victor Harbor (S.A.) in 1976 (Hutchins and Thompson, 1983; Australian Anglers Association, 2004).

Diet

No specific information on the diet could be found for this report; however the closely related species C. marmoratus (Eastern Kelpfish) eats invertebrates (such as molluscs, benthic crustaceans and echinoderms), and small fish (Russell, 1983; Paulin and Roberts, 1992, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).

Behaviour

The species is cryptic in its habits (Kuiter, 1993; Edgar, 2000), and is rarely sighted (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986), due to it habit of remaining wedged into caves or rock crevices against strong surge.

Fisheries Information

Commercial

Western Kelpfish is a minor bycatch species in the South Australian Rock Lobster fishery. Based on a 1% sub-sample of the bycatch, during which 1 C. georgianus individual was caught in the Northern Zone (Brock et al., 2004), the annual catch in that zone might be as high as 100 specimens.

Recreational

The species is taken by some recreational anglers and spear fishers, but no data are available for this report. Some fishing clubs and associations keep records of the maximum sizes caught (e.g. Australian Anglers Association, 2004).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species, and Threatening Processes

Western Kelpfish is site-associated on shallow subtidal reefs, and has a small depth range. These characteristics could increase the vulnerability of Western Kelpfish to localised impacts, particularly on reefs close to metropolitan centres, and in other areas with high levels of land-based impact. For example, studies undertaken on metropolitan and southern Gulf St Vincent reefs since the mid-1990s (see Cheshire et al., 1998; Cheshire and Westphalen, 2000; Turner and Cheshire, 2002) have shown that, at some reefs, decline in cover of large brown macroalgae (and increased cover of smaller, turf species) may be an indicator of pollution. On other reefs, increased coverage of mussels in sites that were previously dominated by macroalgae is also considered to indicate a decline in reef health (Smith, 2000, cited by EPA S.A., 2003).
Generally, fishing (target or bycatch) is considered to be a threatening process for populations of site-associated reef fish which occur over a limited depth range; however there are no specific data on the effects of fishing on Western Kelpfish populations.

Research Requirements

There appears to be a lack of information on population sizes / relative abundance, or population dynamics of this species across the range.
The bycatch of Western Kelpfish in various coastal fisheries should be quantified.
There is some recent information on bycatch of this species in the S.A. Rock Lobster Fishery. If possible, Western Kelpfish bycatch in this fishery should continue to be recorded over space and time (and see Management Requirements below).

Management Requirements

In the rock lobster fisheries, methods are required, where possible, to reduce the bycatch of benthic fish species such as Western Kelpfish. For the Rock Lobster fishery in S.A., Sloan (2003a) and Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (2003d) discussed the benefits of using “escape gaps” in rock lobster pots (to reduce the bycatch of non-target species), and the voluntary use of such pots with escape gaps, within the Northern Zone of the fishery.
Ongoing control of impacts that reduce the quality and cover of nearshore reef habitats, particularly in metropolitan areas.
Recreational fishing restrictions are required for site-associated nearshore reef fish species such as Western Kelpfish.
Plans for marine protected areas in S.A. should give due consideration to the declaration of nearshore sanctuary zones that include such site-associated species as Western Kelpfish.