© 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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White-nose Pigfish

Family Name:	Congiopodidae
Scientific Name:	Perryena leucometopon (Waite, 1922)
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient, possibly Rare E(ii) in S.A.
Rationale:  The White-nose Pigfish is included here because (i) it is an endemic species from a mono-specific genus, and may be uncommon across the geographic range (southern W.A. to central S.A.); (ii) Glenelg in Gulf St Vincent is the type locality, yet the species has very rarely been recorded there, or in other parts of South Australia; (iii) the species is sedentary and slow-moving in benthic environments, which might increase its vulnerability to site-specific impacts; (iii) although little is known of the habitat or depth range, the species is reported to be a reef-dweller, and nearshore reefs in some parts of the range are degraded, including the gulf in which P. leucometopon was first recorded; (iv) in areas of offshore reef, the species is sometimes taken as bycatch in rock lobster pots, but there are few data; and (v) there is very little information on the relative abundance, biology, or population dynamics of this species, or on the nature and extent of threatening processes. Surveys are required to determine population sizes of this cryptic and perhaps rare species, particularly in South Australia.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

 No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

Perryena leucometopon is endemic to the southern Australian coast, and is known from Gulf St Vincent (S.A.) in the east (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994), to Port Denison (W.A.) in the west (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006).
CSIRO Marine Research et al. (2001) reported that the species also occurs in the South East Marine Region (SEMR). The north-western boundary of the SEMR (which incorporates southern NSW, Victorian, Tasmanian, and south-eastern South Australian waters) spans the latitude of southern Kangaroo Island – upper South East of S.A., which indicates that the species may extend further east than Gulf St Vincent.
The species has been recorded rarely in mainland bays off south-western Australia, and around islands in the Recherche Archipelago (Hutchins, 2005).

South Australia

There are few museum specimens, and this cryptic species is rarely recorded in surveys.
Specimens found on the beach at Glenelg (South Australia) in 1917 and 1920 are the types (Waite, 1922, cited in Eschmeyer, 2001; South Australian Museum records F00663 and F00455, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
In S.A., examples of locations where the species has been recorded include Gulf St Vincent (type specimens from Glenelg, as cited above, and also a specimen collected in 1987, from 3km north of Wirrina boat ramp, along the Fleurieu Peninsula), Spencer Gulf (e.g. several specimens from Tiparra Reef, collected in 1975), and Kangaroo Island (Glover, 1979; South Australian Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).

Habitat

P. leucometopon occurs on the continental shelf (Paxton et al., 1989, cited by Froese and Pauly, 2007), on offshore rocky reefs, which is reported to be the main habitat type (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
Along the Fleurieu Peninsula in eastern Gulf St Vincent, the species has been recorded on rubble reef, under rocks, at 4m or 5m depth (South Australian Museum specimen, 1987, cited in OZCAM database, 2007).
In W.A., the species is known mainly from rocky reef and coral reef habitats, with some macroalgae (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006). For example, in the Recherche Archipelago and mainland bays off south-western Australia, the White-nose Pigfish has been recorded from reef habitats (Hutchins, 2005).  The species was also recorded by Hyndes et al. (1999) in a survey of mainly sandy substrates in the nearshore marine waters of south-western Australia.

Notes on the Biology

Growth

The White-nose Pigfish grows to around 16cm (Wheeler, 1977, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).

Diet and Feeding Behaviour

The related species of pigfish Congiopodus leucopaecilus uses its snout to probe into crevices, seaweed and sand, for crabs, worms, and other benthic invertebrates (Ayling and Cox, 1982, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007), and it is possible that the diet and feeding habits of White-nose Pigfish are similar.

Other Information

Pigfishes are sedentary fishes that swim slowly, and spend much of their time resting on the bottom (Ayling and Cox, 1982, cited in Froese and Pauly, 2007).
Juveniles differ considerably from adults, in shape and colour (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986).
Spines of the dorsal fin are venomous (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986).

Fisheries Information

The species is (very) infrequently taken in rock lobster pots from offshore reefs in South Australia and Western Australia (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986). In W.A., two specimens were taken in rock lobster pots, one off Cervantes (B. Hutchins, W.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006). It is noted that the White-nose Pigfish was not recorded in two bycatch sampling programs for the rock lobster fishery in South Australia, during the 1990s (Prescott and Xiao, 2001), and early 2000s (Brock et al., 2004).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

The species is sedentary, slow-moving and site-associated in reef habitats, and these characteristics may increase the vulnerability of populations to localised impacts.
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, such as metropolitan Gulf St Vincent (the type locality), 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; Tanner, 2005; Westphalen et al., 2005; Turner et al., 2007).
The species is reported to be a minor part of the bycatch in rock lobster pots in S.A. and W.A., but data are lacking, and there is currently no knowledge of the extent to which this process threatens populations.

Research Requirements

Surveys are required to determine the relative abundance (or rarity) of White-nose Pigfish on reefs in South Australia.
More information is required about the habitat and depth range of this species.
There is very little information on the biology, such as growth, longevity, reproduction and diet.
Bycatch data from rock lobster fisheries (and any other fisheries in which the species occurs) are required.

Management Requirements

When found in 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 White-nosed Pigfish.
Ongoing efforts are required to restore the degraded benthic habitats where this species occurs, particularly Gulf St Vincent, the type locality of White-nosed Pigfish.

Other Information

The species has been recorded in the Jurien Bay Marine Park in W.A. (G. Edgar, pers. comm., 2006).
The species is rarely seen, because it is not caught on fishing hooks (due to its small mouth) or in trawls (due to living in rocky habitat) (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).