© 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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Whiskered Prowfish

Family Name:	Pataecidae
Scientific Name:	Neopataecus waterhousii (Castelnau, 1872)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient
Rationale:  Although the species is broadly distributed across S.A, it is included here because (i) N. waterhousii is reported to be rare or uncommon, with little known about its biology or habits; (ii) the species is benthic, slow-moving, and strongly site-associated, and (like other prowfishes) probably exists at low densities per area; all of these characteristics can increase the vulnerability of populations to localised impacts; (iii) metropolitan Gulf St Vincent is the type locality for this species, and the gulf has been subject to extensive habitat modification and degradation during the past century since the type specimens were collected; (iii) in some parts of the range, the species is occasionally taken as bycatch in rock lobster pots, and, given the habitat of this species, is likely to also be a component of the bycatch in benthic trawls; however data are lacking; and (iv) there is very little information known about the relative abundance, biology (particularly growth, longevity and reproduction), habits, population dynamics of this species.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No formal listings; however the species is reported to be rare (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994) or uncommon (Australian Museum, 2005e), infrequently found (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986) and seldom encountered by divers or anglers (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Distribution

Southern Australia

Neopataecus waterhousii has been recorded along the southern Australian coast, mainly from central coast of W.A, through to the central coast of S.A. (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Hutchins, 2001); however the species extends eastwards into Victoria (see below).
There are isolated records of the species in Victoria. One specimen was found on a beach in Western Port, Victoria (Kuiter, 1996a), and there are several other records of beached specimens of Neopataecus waterhousii recorded from southern Victorian waters (Museum of Victoria records from 1993 and 2002, cited in OZCAM database, 2007). It is noted that CSIRO et al. (2001) included Whiskered Prowfish amongst the list of demersal fish from the South East Marine Region of Australia, despite its mainly western distribution.

South Australia

Gulf St Vincent in S.A. is the type locality (Eschmeyer, 2001).
In the late 1800s, a number of museum specimens were collected in the “Adelaide area” in Gulf St Vincent (Hureau, 1991; Anonymous, 2000b, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007). Specimens were also collected from the metropolitan area of Gulf St Vincent during the 1960s and 1970s, with examples including Glenelg, and Port Stanvac (South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007). Examples of other locations in S.A. from where the species is known include the Great Australian Bight; parts of Spencer Gulf (e.g. Port Broughton, Tiparra area, and Port Rickaby); the “heel” of southern Yorke Peninsula; northern and north-eastern Kangaroo Island (e.g. American River); Encounter Bay, and the upper South East (e.g. southern Lacepede Bay area, and Robe area) (Glover, 1979; CSIRO Marine Research data 1967, cited in CSIRO, 2005; S.A. Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007; Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Habitat

N. waterhousii occurs in moderately shallow coastal waters, and is occasionally seen in floating seaweed, such as Sargassum (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2005e). There is little information about the habitat. In S.A., the species has been recorded on “sandy bottom with sparse vegetation” (South Australian Museum record from 1974, cited in OZCAM database, 2004). Similarly in W.A., Whiskered Prowfish has been recorded in the vicinity of sandy substrate (Hyndes et al., 1999).
Examples of depths from which the species has been collected include 15m, 21m, 24m, 27m, 30m (South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2004) and 39m (CSIRO Marine Research data 1973, cited in CSIRO, 2007; Currie and Sorokin, 2010).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

Gomon (in Gomon et al., 1994) and Australian Museum (2005e) reported that the Whiskered Prowfish grows to around 19cm.

Other Information

The species is extremely variable in colour (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994); for example, brown body with a network of thin red lines; brownish body with pink blotches that resemble crustose coralline algae, or orange body with white blotches that resemble encrusting sponge.
The compressed body shape and resemblance of Whiskered Prowfish to erect benthic biota, may indicate that it is bentho-pelagic in habit (i.e. free swimming near the bottom) (Drabsch, 1996).

Fisheries Information

Commercial

The species is sometimes found in lobster pots (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2005e). No bycatch statistics are available for this report. It is noted that the Whiskered Prowfish was not recorded during bycatch surveys in the South Australian Rock Lobster Fishery (e.g. Prescott, 2001; Brock et al., 2004).
The Whiskered Prowfish is listed on an international website for the aquarium trade; however no trade information on that species is included on the site, and no information could be found for this report.

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

The inshore distribution, benthic nature, and apparent uncommonness of this species in southern Australia may make populations susceptible to decline from habitat impacts in some areas (particularly metropolitan Gulf St Vincent, which has been subject to numerous cumulative impacts on habitat and water quality, over a long time frame –: for examples, see Shepherd, 1970; Hart, 1996, 1997; Cheshire et al., 1998; Cheshire and Westphalen, 2000; Fairhead et al., 2002a, 2002b; Westphalen et al., 2005; Turner et al., 2007). Baker (2004) summarised many of the habitat impacts in various other parts of S.A. in which this species has been recorded (e.g. north-eastern Kangaroo I. and Encounter Bay, amongst other areas).
There is no knowledge of reproduction in this species. If dispersal is low, and recruitment of the next generation is localised, then that mode of reproduction may increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific impacts.
The species is reported to be occasionally taken in rock lobster pots (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994); however the potential impacts upon populations of this bycatch are not known.
Given the habitat of this species, it is likely to be a component of the bycatch in benthic trawls (including prawn trawls); however data are lacking. It is noted that one specimen was recorded during an otter trawl survey of 120 sites in Spencer Gulf in 2007 (Currie and Sorokin, 2010), but the frequency of capture in prawn trawls in South Australian waters is not known.

Research Requirements

There is very little information about the relative abundance, biology (particularly growth, longevity and reproduction), habits, and population dynamics of this species.
Bycatch data from rock lobster fisheries and benthic trawl fisheries are required.

Management Requirements

When found in benthic trawls and rock lobster pots, this species should be recorded, and the data should be sent to the South Australian Museum.
Measures are required to reduce, as much as possible and practical, the bycatch of uncommon benthic fish species such as the Whiskered Prowfish.
Ongoing efforts are required to restore the degraded benthic habitats where this species occurs, particularly Gulf St Vincent, the type locality of Whiskered Prowfish.