The faunal communities of Australian mangroves

Abstract

Mangroves occur in Australia from Corner Inlet, Victoria (38° 45′ S) to Cape York, Queensland (19° S). South of Merimbula (36° 50′ S) on the east coast and south of Carnarvon (25° S) on the west coast, only one species Avicennia marina occurs sporadically. North of these latitudes the number of mangrove species increases, and in Cape York over 30 species occur. A synopsis of the diverse fauna is given and an attempt is made to describe the fauna according to the habitat occupied. The necessity for detailed information on the life cycles and feeding strategies of the dominant faunal organisms is stressed, before estimates of secondary productivity can be made. These are necessary for assessments of the importance of Australian mangrove communities and the inherent dangers of extrapolating data from one geographical region to another.