DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report
6.1.2 Terrestrial invertebrates
Dr Robyn Gunning (New South Wales Agriculture, Tamworth) undertakes regular
invertebrate surveys for the Department of Agriculture and her survey area includes parts of
the DRP. Results of these surveys need to be incorporated into an assessment of the
biodiversity of the bioregion. A large collection of invertebrates from around New South
Wales is housed at New South Wales Agriculture, Orange.
6.2 FISH
6.2.1 Known species diversity and distribution
In surveys conducted by New South Wales Fisheries in 1996 and Llewellyn in 1983 of the
rivers of the Darling region (including New South Wales tributaries and extending east of the
DRP bioregion) 30 fish species were recorded or considered likely to occur (Table 6.1 and
Table 6.2). Of these species, 15 were found in the Gwydir River basin, 16 in the Namoi, eight
in the Castlereagh, 21 in the Macquarie and 13 in the Darling River (Harris & Gehrke 1997).
Table 6.1 Fish species known or likely to occur in the Darling Region
(Harris & Gehrke, 1997; Harris, 1995)
Family Scientific Name Common Name Catchment
Recorded
Atherinidae Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum flyspecked hardyhead N, B-D
Clupeidae Nematalosa erebi bony herring G, N, C, M, D, B-D
Eleotridae Hypseleotris sp. gudgeon G, N, C, M, D
Eleotridae Hypseleotris klunzingeri western carp gudgeon B-D
Eleotridae Hypseleotris sp1 Lake's carp gudgeon B-D
Eleotridae Hyseleotris sp2 Midgley's carp gudgeon B-D
Eleotridae Mogurnda mogurnda northern purple-spotted gudgeon B-D
Galaxiidae Galaxias olidus mountain galaxis G, N, M, B-D
Melanotaeniidae Melanotaenia fluviatilis crimson-spotted rainbowfish G, N, M, D, B-D
Percichthyidae Macquaria ambigua golden perch G, N, M, D, B-D
Retropinnidae Retropinna semoni Australian smelt G, N, C, M, D, B-D
Terapontidae Leiopotherapon unicolor spangled perch G, N, C, M, D, B-D
Ambassidae Ambassis castelnaui olive perchlet B-D
Atherinidae Craterocephalus amniculus Darling River hardyhead B-D
Galaxiidae Galaxias rostratus Murray jollytail Predicted
Plotosidae Neosilurus hyrtlii Hyrtl's tandan Predicted
Eleotridae Philypnodon sp. dwarf flathead gudgeon B-D
Key
G = Gwydir River Catchment M = Macquarie River Catchment
N = Namoi River Catchment D = Darling River Catchment
C = Castlereagh River Catchment B-D = Barwon Darling River
Twenty-three fish species are known to occur in the Barwon-Darling River system (Table 6.1
and Table 6.2). This list does not include some species found only in the tributaries and five
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