Craterocephalus gloveri Crowley & Ivantsoff 1990
Glover's hardyhead

ATHERINIDAE, Hardyheads or silversides



Taxonomy

Past records of fly specked hardyheads (C. stercusmuscarun) in Central Australia are now applicable to Glover's hardyhead.

Size

To 50mm (2in) SL.

Conservation Status

Listed as Vulnerable by the Australian Society for Fish Biology.

Distribution & Abundance

image

Known from only three springs at Dalhousie Springs (shown by the black dot). They are usually very abundant.

Habitat & Ecology

Morphologically they are similar to Dalhousie hardyhead which makes them difficult to distinguish. In fact, they were only recently recognised as a new species. This species tends to inhabit slightly cooler springs than Dalhousie hardyhead and they also appear to be sympatric in one spring. They are generally found in pools and channels in the spring outflows. Glover's hardyheads appear to be omnivorous.

Reproduction

In aquaria this species lays a few eggs a day and appears to spawn at slightly lower temperatures than Dalhousie hardyhead. It is not known whether they reproduce all year round or seasonally in the wild.

Threats

The greatest threat is their restricted range. At Dalhousie Springs, the principal threat is the potential introduction of exotic species.

Conservation Action

Dalhousie Springs is completely enclosed within Witjira National Park. There is also ongoing population monitoring being conducted by Bryan Pierce from the South Australian Research and Development Institute.

Conservation Recommendations

Continue regular population monitoring.

Important References

Glover, C. J. M. 1989. Fishes. In, Natural History of Dalhousie Springs. Eds. Zeidler, W. & Ponder, W. F. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. pp 89-112.

Crowley, L. E. L. M. & Ivantsoff, W. 1989. An historical overview of the genus Craterocephalus with special reference to the hardyheads from Dalhousie Springs. In, Natural History of Dalhousie Springs. Eds. Zeidler, W. & Ponder, W. F. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. pp 113-118.

Crowley, L. E. L. M. & Ivantsoff, W. 1990a. A second hardyhead, Craterocephalus gloveri (Pisces: Atherinidae), from Dalhousie Springs, Central Australia. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 1(2): 113-122.


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This file was last modified:  18 March 2003