Freshwater fish and crayfish communities of the tributaries of the Margaret River

Beatty, S., Morgan, D. and Allen, M. (2009) Freshwater fish and crayfish communities of the tributaries of the Margaret River. Murdoch University. Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research, Western Australia.

Abstract

Tributaries and headwaters of major rivers are known to be important spawning and nursery habitats of freshwater endemic fishes in south-western Australia (see for example the Collie River in Pen & Potter 1990, and the Blackwood River in Beatty et al. 2006, 2008). Fishes of the Margaret River have previously been examined by Morgan et al. (1998) and Morgan & Beatty (2003) with the monitoring of the functioning of the two fishways on the river documented in Morgan & Beatty (2004, 2007) and Beatty & Morgan (2008). The river is known to be of conservation importance due to it housing five of the eight endemic freshwater fishes of the south-west region, as well as housing the majority (five of the six species) of the Cherax species of freshwater crayfishes found in the south-west; including the Margaret River endemic Critically Endangered Hairy Marron.

Despite this known value and considerable volume of research on the fishes in the main channel of the Margaret River, little is known on the fishes and freshwater crayfishes of the river 19s major tributaries. The aim of this study is to document the freshwater fish distribution in the major tributaries of the Margaret River (i.e. Bramley, Darch, and Yalgardup Brooks) during or close to the breeding period for the majority of the species and to provide a broad assessment and comparison of population demographics of the different species in the different tributaries. This information is required for the formulation of River Action Plans for these systems by the Cape to Cape Catchments Group.

Publication Type:	Report
Murdoch Affiliation:	Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research
Series Name:	Technical report to Geocatch
Publisher:	Murdoch University. Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research
Copyright:	2009 Murdoch University. Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/5987

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