Fish
Cuttlefish are in potential danger if the BHP desalination plant goes ahead in the Spencer Gulf. The video below is from ABC’s Catalyst program & gives insight into why the BHP desalination plant may affect Cuttlefish numbers, and, in time may even lead to their extinction.
Point Lowly, at the top of Spencer Gulf is a Cuttlefish breeding area. The extra salt pumped back into the gulf will result in higher levels of salinity, which affects growth and mortality of the Cuttlefish eggs. BHP have said that they have taken this into account. However, Oceanographer Associate Professor Jochen Kaempf has stated that the ‘dodge tide’ which happens 3-5 times a month has the ability to stir up & move the toxic sludge resulting from salt dumping further into the Cuttlefish breeding environment.
These are highly intelligent, unique and amazing creatures that need to be protected, so please watch the video & if you would like to find out more about the desalination plant, download the BHP report below.
Download the BHP Billiton Marine Environment Report Here
Here’s some information about Cuttlefish courtesy Wikipedia httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv6thIcy0LE
Check out this fun animation which explains about seafood sustainability!
You can also download That’s a moray ringtones and Catch of the Bay sea scenes for your desktop.
http://www.action.org.au/news/heres-catch
Click the link below to read a really interesting article about the size of fish getting smaller over the last 60 years. The focus is on fishing tourism in Key West area in the US.
Very interesting & disturbing read.
Aticle written by Robert Krulwich
http://www.radiolab.org/story/big-fish-stories-getting-littler_kw/
Fish are sometimes stranded alive in pools on outgoing tides, but usually they are dead, and a rare feast for seabirds. You might occasionally also find freshwater species on metropolitan beaches following rains that have washed fish, such as European carp, out of the Torrens.
Porcupine fish (a.k.a. balloon fish, puffer fish) Diodon sp
Best not to step on a dead, dried porcupine fish! It has nasty, long sharp spines. In a live fish the spines provide defence against predators, as does its ability to inflate its body, making the spines stick out – like an echidna in defensive mode. These fish are not built for speed.
Toad Fish Tetractenos
These fish grow to about 15 cm (this one was about full size) and are common in shallow water in southern Australia. Like other members of this family, toadies are poisonous.
Short-headed Lamprey (a.k.a. Australian Lamprey) Mordacia mordax
Looking like an eel, these fish grow to about 50cm in length and move from marine to fresh water to breed. In the sea they parasitise other fish. Most fish have jaws, but Lampreys are blood sucking and have a round funnel-like mouth with many small sharp teeth.