Seasonal distribution patterns of fishes within the Bathurst Harbour estuary, southwestern Tasmania

Abstract

Fish distributions did not noticeably change within the estuary in response to seasonal changes in salinity. A number of fishes were, however, possibly prevented from entering the estuary during February 1989 because of low oxygen concentrations then prevailing. The assemblage of Bathurst Harbour fishes collected by gillnet was unusual in being dominated by sharks and skates, with all of the common species also being distributed in water depths >50 m along the continental shelf. Thus it has many characteristics typical of a deep water assemblage. Included amongst the Bathurst Harbour fishes was a previously unknown species of skate which may be restricted to the estuary. By far the most common of the larger fishes was white-spotted dogfish Squalus acanthias (86% of the total gillnet catch). -from Author