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The wetlands of Lake Alexandrina: home to a unique population of Southern pygmy perch

By Scotte Wedderburn & Thomas Barnes December 1, 2021

At the end of the Murray River in South Australia are two large freshwater lakes surrounded by biodiverse wetlands. As a part of Ngarrindjeri Country, Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina are culturally and ecologically unique, in part due to their close proximity to the Murray estuary in the Coorong. The region is recognised as a

What’s lurking underneath? New Swamp Yabby species surfaces in the Murray-Darling Basin

By Mikayla Hyland-Wood and Kate McKenna November 30, 2021

After 15 years of research, a new species of freshwater crayfish, Cherax latimanus or the Swamp Yabby, has been uncovered, now officially its own species. Researchers Dr Tarmo Raadik and Robert McCormack from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research and Australian Aquatic Biological found and described the newly named species. This discovery of a

A stunning illustrated map of Murray cod and Golden perch journeys to explore

By Iain Ellis September 22, 2021

"Maps are a way of organising wonder" This quote by Peter Steinhart is spot on when it comes to this stunning map created by fish researcher and artist Dr Brendan Ebner. NSW DPI Fisheries asked Brendan to create this beautiful map of the Darling-Baaka River. Flowing rivers and deep pools are essential for healthy populations

Native fish are bouncing back in the Lower Darling Baaka River

By Iain Ellis September 6, 2021

Following trying times, native fish are bouncing back in the Baaka... We all remember those images from the mass fish deaths that occurred in summer 2018-2019 in the Lower Darling Baaka River along the Menindee town weir pool. To understand how this event impacted local fish communities, NSW DPI Fisheries has been monitoring the Lower

A new dawn for the zombie fish

By Peter Rose August 19, 2021

Victoria’s zombie fish are back from the dead, and there are plans underway to return the species to its former range throughout the Murray Corridor. But first, let’s meet this zombie fish! The southern purple-spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa - pictured above) is a small, colourful, and native floodplain specialist fish. Once widespread in wetlands, lakes,

Native fish and silver screens – let’s keep our fish in the rivers

By Braeden Lampard August 12, 2021

Australia’s inland rivers used to teem with native fish. Speak to any older Australian from the bush and they’ll tell…

Katfish Reach showing good signs of recovery

By Benita Dillon & Chris Bice August 9, 2021

South Australia’s Katfish Reach is a diverse floodplain, home to at least 20 threatened species. The floodplain is large, covering…

Major breakthrough for conservation of threatened fish

By David Roberts July 22, 2021

Scientists have discovered new methods for estimating the ages of native fish without harming endangered populations. Previously, estimating the age…

Upper Murrumbidgee Recovery Reach – Fish and Flows Forum

By Mikayla Hyland-Wood July 8, 2021

The upper Murrumbidgee River is iconic, not only being home to the few remaining natural and self-sustaining populations of Macquarie perch and Murray cod in the Murray Darling Basin, but also because it flows through our nation’s capital on Ngunnawal country. The importance of the upper Murrumbidgee River to our capital region community was the

Murray cod populations on the rise in Queensland

By Kate McKenna June 30, 2021

The endangered native Murray cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish, reaching lengths of up to 180cm and weighing-in over 100kg.…

Are hatchery-bred Murray cod too bold for the wild?

By Kate McKenna June 22, 2021

Fish ‘personality’, or behaviour, can influence the likelihood of survival in the wild when faced with predators or unfamiliar threats.…

New handbook supporting the conservation of nine NSW threatened freshwater fish species

By Kate McKenna June 7, 2021

The ‘Conservation translocation handbook for New South Wales threatened freshwater fishes’ (April 2021, PDF) has been released with important recommendations…

Meet the Recovery Reach Coordinators

By Murray-Darling Basin Authority June 6, 2021

A network of Local Recovery Coordinators have been established to lead on-ground activities of the Native Fish Recovery Strategy. They…

Controlling Carp numbers: biomass modelling to support native fish recovery

By Kate McKenna May 18, 2021

Scientists have been able to estimate the biomass and energy that the invasive Common Carp Cyprinus carpio (carp) species have absorbed and locked away from Australia’s ecosystems and food webs, reflecting the amount of energy and resources unavailable for native species. These findings are useful for tracking river and ecosystem recovery, setting appropriate management and

From New Caledonia to the Barwon River: tracking migratory eels using satellites

By Kate McKenna May 4, 2021

Eels are an important part of Victoria’s biodiversity and Indigenous cultural heritage, yet globally and locally the anguillid eel species…