37KK jpeg 150mm (6in) TL. Flinder's Ranges, Arkaroola, South Australia. Ross Felix photo.

Size

Can reach a length of 300mm (12in) TL. Commonly less than 150-200mm (6-8in) TL.

Conservation Status

Not listed.

Distribution & Abundance

67KK jpeg A short seine haul of spangled perch from a small portion of the waterhole shown below. Peter Unmack photo.

This is the most widespread fish in Australia. Within Central Australia, it is known from all but three separate basins in the Western Plateau Drainage Division (which haven't had any native fish recorded from them). As the photo above shows, they can occur in extremely high abundances. When they occur with other species they are usually common, though not abundant.

Habitat & Ecology

56K jpeg Drying waterhole in Atnarpa Creek east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Peter Unmack photo.

Spangled perch have been collected from every type of habitat that exists in Central Australia. This includes large ephemeral lakes, major rivers and their associated tributaries, minor isolated streams, springs, flowing bore (well) drains, and human constructed reservoirs and dams. Because of their ability to rapidly colonise new waterbodies, it has often been proposed that they can aestivate, either as eggs or adults. However, no evidence has been found to support this (Llewelyn 1973). This species has exceptionally good dispersal abilities; Shipway (1947) records hundreds of young spangled perch swimming 16.6km (10mi) in six hours along a wheel rut until the water seeped away. As a result, spangled perch are commonly (though mistakenly) thought to have appeared as a result of a so called "rain of fish", where fish (usually spangled perch but sometimes other species may be reported) can be found scattered on the ground after heavy downpours. These fish have not fallen from the sky, they have migrated there via overland flow (Glover 1990).

Reproduction

Spangled perch spawn at temperatures over 26°C (79°F). Flooding is not necessary to stimulate spawning unlike most of the larger central Australian species. Females mature at 78mm (3in) SL. A 24g (1oz) fish produces 24,000 eggs, a 65g (2.25oz) fish produces 113,200 eggs (Llewelyn 1973).

Threats

None.

Conservation Action

Not relevant.

Conservation Recommendations

Undertake studies into the biology and ecology of central Australian populations.

Important References

Glover, C. J. M. 1990. Fishes. In, Natural History of the North-East Deserts. Eds. Tyler, M. J., Twidale, C. R., Davies, M., & Wells, C. B. Royal Society of South Australia, Adelaide. pp 189-198.

Llewellyn, L. C. 1973. Spawning, development, and temperature tolerance of the spangled perch, Madigania unicolor (Gunther), from inland waters in Australia. Australian Journal of Freshwater and Marine Research. 24: 73-94.

Shipway, B. 1947. Rains of fishes? Western Australian Naturalist. 1(2):47-48.

This file was last modified:  18 March 2003