parks victoria technical series marine natural values study vol 2 ...

Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79
Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study
a) b)
c) d)
Figure 48. Deep subtidal reef invertebrates in Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary: a) ascidian
Botrylloides perspicuus, b) feather star Cenolia trichoptera, c) southern jewel anemone Corynactis
australis and d) basket star Conocladius australis on a sponge. Photos taken by Friends of Beware
Reef Marine Sanctuary.
Fish
The fish assemblages associated with Phyllospora communities of the Twofold Shelf
Bioregion have characteristics typical of both eastern and southern temperate waters, and
are therefore quite different to elsewhere in Victoria (Edmunds et al. 2010b; Williams et al.
2007; Figures 44, 45, 46 and 53).
Wrasse and damselfish were the more abundant species at Beware Reef. Four species of
wrasse, the blue throat wrasse Notolabrus tetricus, purple wrasse N. fucicola, Maori wrasse
Opthalmolepis lineolata and rosy wrasse Pseudolabrus psittaculus are common (Williams et
al. 2007; Edmunds et al. 2010b), although their abundance is variable between surveys
(Edmunds et al. 2010b). The damsel fish, the one-spot puller Chromis hypsilepis and whiteear
damselfish Parma microlepis are eastern warmer water species that occur in the MS
(Edmunds et al. 2005; Williams et al. 2007; Edmunds et al. 2010b; Figure 49). Banded
morwong Cheilodactylus spectabilis is also common at Beware Reef MS (Williams et al.
2007).
Beware Reef MS has very high densities of the plankton feeding butterfly perch Caesioperca
Lepidoptera, with schools of over 1000 being observed (Figure 50). High densities of
butterfly perch are generally associated with reefs of high relief with extension into deep
water, such as at Beware Reef (Edmunds et al. 2010b). The abundance of this species
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