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

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Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79<br />

Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study<br />

Marine mammals and reptiles<br />

The southern right whale Eubalaena australis and humpback whale Megaptera<br />

novaeangliae have been recorded in or near the Wilsons Promontory MNP (Table 5). The<br />

southern right whale E. australis is listed as critically endangered in Victorian waters and<br />

endangered nationally. The humpback whale M. novaeangliae is listed as vulnerable at the<br />

state and national level. Both species have been observed to calf in the MNP. These two<br />

whales along with the killer whale Orcinus orca are migratory listed species under the Bonn<br />

convention. The state vulnerable New Zealand fur seal Arctophoca forsteri has been<br />

recorded as breeding on Kanowna Island and presumably feeds in the MNP. The state and<br />

nationally listed leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea and the nationally vulnerable green<br />

turtle Chelonia mydas have both been recorded from the MNP. Three other <strong>marine</strong> reptiles<br />

occur as vagrants along the eastern Victorian coast: loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta,<br />

Pacific ridley Lepidochelys olivacea, yellow-bellied sea snake Pelamis platurus and probably<br />

use the waters of the MNP (Plummer et al. 2003). The bottlenose dolphin Tursiops<br />

truncatus, common dolphin Delphinus delphis, and leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx have<br />

been observed in the waters in and around the park. The Australian fur seal Arctocephalus<br />

pusillus doriferus feeds in the MNP and breeds on the islands surrounded by the park, with a<br />

particularly large breeding colony on Kanowna Island (Littnan et al. 2007, Arnould &<br />

Kirkwood 2008, Tripovich et al. 2009, Deacon & Arnould 2009, Gibbons & Arnould 2008,<br />

Tripovich et al 2006, Spence-Bailey et al. 2007). Numbers are concentrated in breeding<br />

areas from October to December.<br />

Table 5. Conservation listed <strong>marine</strong> mammal and reptile records from Wilsons Promontory Marine<br />

National Park and surrounds.<br />

Victorian listing National<br />

listing<br />

International<br />

convention<br />

Common name Scientific name FFG VROTS EPBC Bonn<br />

southern right whale Eubalaena australis L CR EN L<br />

humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae L VU VU L<br />

New Zealand fur seal Arctophoca forsteri VU L<br />

Arctocephalus pusillus<br />

Australian fur seal doriferus<br />

L<br />

killer whale Orcinus orca L L<br />

leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea L CR VU L<br />

green turtle Chelonia mydas VU L<br />

L = listed, M = listed Migratory, VU = vulnerable, EN = endangered, CR = critically endangered<br />

Species distribution information<br />

An assessment of distribution, endemism and rarity of biota across the state found that<br />

Wilsons MNP had four molluscs presumed to be endemic to the park (O'Hara and Barmby<br />

2000; O'Hara 2002; Table 6).<br />

Table 6. Marine invertebrates presumed to be endemic to the Wilsons Promontory Marine National<br />

Park (O'Hara and Barmby 2000; O'Hara 2002)<br />

Phylum Order Family Species<br />

Mollusca Gastropoda Cyclostrematidae Liotella vercoi<br />

Mollusca Gastropoda Cystiscidae Cystiscus halli<br />

Mollusca Polyplacophora Eulimidae Eulima styliformis<br />

Mollusca Polyplacophora Eulimidae Eulima <strong>victoria</strong>e<br />

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