Feral or In Peril
Introduction
Some species we rarely see no matter how often we explore Victoria's underwater world. Other species
we see, but wish we did not - the introduced pests. These invaders have become established in our waters and threaten
the local species and marine industries. Scientists and our resource managers will be better placed
to manage Victoria's marine environments with informaiton collected by monitoring the introduced as
well as the rare species.
The Victorian Feral and In Peril Program is run by Reef Watch Victoria and funded by the
Australian Caring for our country - Coastcare program. As part of the program Identification kits
have been developed. These are designed to assist volunteers and community groups to identify introduced
species, potential pests and species of conservation concern. It aims to increase awareness of which pests and species
are native and which have invaded out waters, as well as how the pest species affect out local marine environment.
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Feral Species
Feral species, or pests arrive by hitch-hiking free rides on ships,
boats and boating equipment or may be spread by fishing, aquaculture and aquarium industry practices.
They threaten our local environment because they can:
- compete with native species for food and space
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- reduce the atrractiveness of our coastal areas
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- damage infrastructure and equipment with encrusting growth
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They survive here because they are usually very fertile, grow quickly, can live in several types of
habitat and are not fussy about what they eat. Their size can also be a dominating factor.
Removing pests is difficult, expensive and often not completely effective. Therefore, the
Australian Government has adopted a national strategy to prevent them entering our waters and to manage to
ones already here.
We can reduce the spread of pests if we follow there practices:
- clean and dry equipment before transporting and using in a different location
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- remove fouling organisms from vessels
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- check anchors and other equipment for tangled organisms
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Here is the list of pest species we wish to monitor. Click on the photo for more information about that species.
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Northern Pacific Sea Star |
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Japanese Kelp |
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European Fan Worm |
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European Green Shore Crab |
| Asteria amurensis |
Undaria pinnatifida |
Sabella spallanzanii |
Carcinus maenas |
| Photo:CSIRO publishing |
Photo:CSIRO publishing |
Photo:David Staples |
Photo:CSIRO publishing |
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New Zealand Screwshell |
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Aquarium Caulerpa |
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Chinese Mitten Crab |
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Rapa or Veined Whelk |
| Maoricolpus roseus |
Caulerpa taxifolia |
Eriocheir sinensis |
Rapana venosa |
| Photo:CSIRO publishing |
Photo:Tim Glasby |
Photo:Stephan Gollasch, GoConsult |
Photo:Juliana M. Harding,Virginia Institute of Marine Science |
Species in
Peril
Threatened species are so sparely distributed around Australia that their future existence is uncertain.There
are specific management plans to help ensure that the poplulations that are here will survive into the future.
The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 provides for the listing of species of plants and animals which are
threatened in Australia.
The Fisheries Act 1995 governs the taking of fish by recreational anglers and spearfishing.
These species become endangered because they may have high fishing pressure, grow slowly or do not produce many offspring.
Other species are rare in Victoria but common on other states. they are not considered threatened, rather at the
edge of their natural distribution.
It is useful for scientist to monitor their location as the distribution could extend or shrink due to climate change or
other factors. If left unchecked, this could impact on Victorian reef ecosystems and industries.
The Faral and In Peril Program includes species that are protected from fishing, species that are at the edge of their distribution
and species you may only see once during a dive. Management means that some of these species are not officially
listed as threatened, but by monitoring them we can help ensure that this remains the case.
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Common Seadragon |
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Southern Blue Devil |
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Eastern Blue Groper |
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Western Blue Groper |
| Phyllopteryx taeniolatus |
Paraplesiops meleagris |
Achoerodus viridis |
Achoerodus gouldii |
| Photo: Mark Norman |
Photo: Mark Norman |
Photo: Reef Watch |
Photo: Rudie Kuiter |
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Southern Sand Flathead |
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Southern Banded Wobbegong |
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Spotted Wobbegong |
| Platycephalus bassensis |
Orectolobus halei |
Orectolobus maculatus |
| Photo:Rudie Kuiter |
Photo:CSIRO publishing |
Photo:CSIRO publishing |
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Red List Info about Spotted Wobbegong
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Free Waterproof Identification Kits for anglers, boaters and divers
To aid recreational divers, anglers and boaters in identifying species of concern, The Feral or in Peril Program has produced a kit that consists of three waterproof cards
containing photos and basic information on how to spot these organisms. The slates are supplemented by an information brochure that goes into greater detail about
the individual species and the program in general. The cards and brochure can be obtained free through dive, tackle and boat outlets or by contacting
The Feral or in Peril Program contact Wendy Roberts
info@reefwatchvic.asn.au Reef Watch Co-ordinator
or view/download PDFs below
Reporting Sightings
The best way to report sightings of Feral or In Peril species is via the online database.
or contact Reef Watch Co-ordinator on (03) 8341 7446.
By participating in Reef
Watch you can really help.
