Newsletter

The July General Meeting will be held at the Conservation Centre, 120 Wakefield Street on Wednesday 19th July and will commence at the usual time of 8.00pm. A map of the meeting place is below.

After the general business we will be looking at the fish section of the Photo Index to select the best slides. These will become the ones to be used for meetings, loans and for display on our Web Page. The rest will be stored as a reserve selection only to be used in emergencies or upon request.

(This may seem familiar to those who attended the June Meeting. We need to have another meeting on this topic as the Photo Index is so large we could not complete to task in one evening. I'm sure that you will still find this to be an excellent way to spend a Winters evening.)

I have recently acquired images of the following South Australian fish species - some of which are only found in our state:

Cosmopolitan Spineback

Spiky Oreo

Threespine Hatchet Fish

Globosehead Whiptail

Fangtooth Dragonfish

Silver Lighthouse Fish

Rhinoceros Blindfish

Crusthead

Southern Pygmy Blindfish

Scissortail

Whitenose Pig Fish

Southern Slickhead

Meads Wearyfish

Blobfish

Goblinfish

Bight Ghostshark

Deepsea Lizardfish

Ribaldo

Long Fin Hagfish

Giant Sawbelly

Cucumber Fish

Basketwork Eel

Gargoyle Fish

Pearlyside Lightfish

Crocodile Fish

Flimsy Flounder

Spangled Tubeshoulder

Blue Bottle Fish

Blue Cubehead

Oxeyed Oreo

Black Halosaur

Elephant Fish

Deepsea Dragonfish

Goannafish

Hammerjaw

Warty Oreo

Darknose Whiptail

Boulenger's Snaggletooth

Loosejaw

Cookie Cutter Shark

Spadenose Catshark

Thetis Fish

Ogilby's Spookfish

Grey Cut-Throat Eel

I obtained these images very easily by purchasing a copy of The Fishes of Australia's South Coast by Gommon, Glover and Kuiter!

And we think some of the fish we shallow-water divers see are weird! The names alone must titillate the most jaded Society members' imaginations. My favourites are Ogilby's Spookfish (wasn't Ogilby the astronomer in H G Wells "War of the Worlds" who said "there could be no living thing on that remote, forbidding planet"?)

Southern Slickhead (a bit too close to home, that one) Boulenger's Snaggletooth, Crusthead and Blue Cubehead. This book is my bible - need I say more? Still not convinced? If in doubt check it out.

Try this paragraph (pg 305) about the Southern Seadevil which lives at depths of up to 2,000 metres and looks like a tiny anglerfish:

"Male seadevils become permanently attached to the much larger females upon maturation and subsequently derive their nutrition directly from the circulatory system of their hosts. These parasitic individuals assume a dark pigmentation and appear simply as outgrowths on the body, fins or even esca of the females, wherever attachment should happen to occur. This relationship allows males to be readily available for mating when the occasion arises in a dark environment where the location of members of the opposite sex might otherwise be difficult."

If you are a chauvinist, why not take this book along to your next dinner party. Even Errol Flynn could've learnt something from this little sneak.

Printed in 1994 by StatePrint for the Flora and Fauna of South Australia Hardbacks Committee, this book is a fine example of what can be achieved locally by dedicated naturalists on a tight budget. But wait 'till they see MLSSA's forthcoming Beachwash Guide.

Over the last two weeks Cuttlefish have been found (sometimes by the thousand) on the strand line on both the north and south coasts of Cornwall. Large numbers have also been seen floating on the surface out at sea.

Report by Jon Makeham

A pod of 5 Killer Whales were seen off Sumburgh Point, the most southerly headland of the Shetland Isles in the early afternoon. This is a good viewing

area for whales and dolphins.

Hugh Harrop on the Shetland Wildlife Pages

Report by Jon Makeham

On the Wednesday of Sea Week we held a Marine Education Workshop, here in our little Marine Discovery Centre in partnership with the City of Adelaide. This was the second workshop, with the first being held at the River Torrens, Adelaide, highlighting freshwater issues. We crammed in 33 attendees as well as 6 presenters/ organisers. It was fantastic to get such a great response from so many teachers in their last week of Term 1.

Jennie and Naomi from the City of Adelaide 'Clean Waters City' Project, were once again super organised and coordinated the evening with bundles of enthusiasm. The Clean Water City Project initiated the two workshops to promote a greater understanding of the impact of stormwater pollution on our marine environment. Tony I turned up nice and early to help out wherever he could and most of our educators were able to make it on time.

Once housekeeping matters were out the way we headed to the beach to do our discovering and marine trailing. We found a good spread of algae, sausage jellies, ascidians, crabs, razor shells, pheasant snail shells, jingles etc. finishing at the stormwater outlet and discussing various issues.

As our caterers were running late David Larritt kindly filled the breach and left us all inspired as per usual. His energy and environmental commitment is an example to us all.

After a scrumptious meal and 'medicinal' wine or other suitable beverage we were keen to fire up again. Dr Mike Bossley gave a superb slide show highlighting catchment issues through his Port River Dolphin project and I think we all felt as though we had got to know his good mate 'Jock' and other special friends.

Catherine Leo invited all to become more involved in water monitoring through KESAB and her excellent team.

Tony Isaacson updated us on the Glenelg Discovery Centre and his leafy seadragon postcard project available through Tony at : tiik@adam.com.au

It was really rewarding for all to see the enthusiasm for Marine Education and its links to catchment care.

Having lived near some of some of the best diving sites in Australia and not taken advantage of learning to dive, I finally made the decision and took the plunge.

Living at that time in Dublin, Ireland, I made the appropriate enquiries and subsequently completed pool training. I then progressed to the open water snorkeling stage. This is where the real fun began.

The diving officer organised the first snorkel for 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning. It was the middle of February and certainly the coldest time of the year.

We assembled at the car park of a well-known site called "The Forty Foot". Under the direction of the diving officer we attempted to squeeze into our brand new wetsuits. I guess the air temperature of 5 to 6 ºC aided our inexperienced attempts in two ways. No body swelling from heat and too bloody cold to hang around.

Kitted up, including ABLJ's (anyone old enough to still remember them?) we waddled off to the entry point. Too rough, so we waddled back to the little harbour nearby.

Taking our lives into our hands and our breath away (freezing) we entered the sea. This was a real eye opener after having snorkeled on the Barrier Reef. The visibility was zero and the sea state at about 1-2 metres. Our diving officer being a well-known sadist kept us in the sea for about 1/2 an hour. I wouldn't have been surprised if nobody had turned up the following week.

Having been through this ordeal we adjourned to the nearest pub. A warm fire and a cold pint or two of Guinness did wonders for our spirits.

Surprisingly enough we did all turn up the next week and enjoyed calm seas and 1-2 metre visibility. However, whilst changing and thinking of a warm pub and a cold pint, it started to snow.

I remember standing there with just my bathers on and the snow falling all around. It just had to get better - and it did!

Adelaide's beaches rank with the Gold Coast as the worst in the nation for erosion, with several beaches south of Glenelg at particular risk. Without constant deliveries of new sand from elsewhere, family beaches such as Brighton, Somerton and Hallett Cove face being de-nuded from sandy stretches to rocky outcrops.

The key factor is the south-to-north drift of sand, where far more is pushed north than sweeps up the Gulf. In the past 7000 years this river of sand has swept ancient beaches north to form the Le Fevre peninsula. Nature had maintained a partial equilibrium where sand swept from dunes in heavy storms was captured in marine seagrass meadows, then gradually returned to beaches in quieter times.

However, the destruction of dunes and seagrass by human activity has accelerated the northern drift and sees more sand lost each year. The Coast Protection Board estimates the 100,000 cubic metres of sand brought in to rebuild beaches each year will have to double over the next 20 years to cope with sand loss. At some southern beaches, such as Sellicks, reefs minimise the problem as sand slops back and forth.

Yet even offshore reefs face stress from polluted run-off such as those at Noarlunga and Glenelg, while sediment from a housing development may have partially smothered Marino Rocks reef.

Some beaches face problems even from efforts to preserve them. University of SA geomorphologist, Dr Bob Bourman, noted coasts are dynamic areas and human efforts to 'freeze' them in shape could cause problems. "At Port Noarlunga the cliffs were eroding, and the reaction to that was to protect them," he said. "However, that was a source of sand for Christies Beach so if you stop the erosion the beach gets less sand."

The Australian Beach Safety Management Program will publish a survey of all SA beaches, including those on islands, later this year. This comprehensive survey will rate beaches in terms of safety and give a pointer to the future impact of development along the shoreline. Preliminary results seen by the Sunday Mail show the metropolitan beaches are relatively safe for a swim, but are at risk of turning to rock. Study leader, Professor Andy Short of the Coastal Studies Unit of Sydney University, said South Australia had few choices.

"You can cart sand in and have beaches, or you can not cart sand and simply end up with boulder seawalls and rocky foreshores. Along with the Gold Coast, Adelaide is the one place where erosion has had the greatest impact on metropolitan beaches. Not enough new sand is coming in naturally to replace the sand drifting north. "Officials have recognised this and are nourishing beaches with new sand . . by and large the sand brought in is moving north to Largs and will continue to do so." Prof. Short suggested that in an ideal world, development would be hauled back beyond various esplanades. This would allow the regeneration of sand dunes to lock in the sand supply; however the cost makes it unrealistic.

At Semaphore Beach alone the cost of buying residential property to extend dunes is estimated at $18 million. "Ideally there would be a buffer zone about 200m wide of foreshore reserve, but when you look at the cost, sand carting becomes a good soft option," Prof. Short said. The size and cost of sand carting is shown by data from the Environment Protection Agency - 600,000 cubic metres of sand was dumped at Brighton at a cost of $2.9 million three years ago. The sand is expected to last just three more years.

State Government policy on SA's 3700km of coastline and 60,000 sq km of territorial waters is guided by the 1998 Our Seas and Coast strategy. Environment Minister Iain Evans said the sand replenishment scheme had been happening for decades. "We are certainly looking at maintaining the program, and we understand the importance of our beaches to the whole community." The SA strategy is blunt in its acknowledgment we have a long way to go. "We do not yet have a well-planned approach to marine conservation," it states.

Major sewerage treatment works - Bolivar, Port Adelaide, Christies Beach and Glenelg - discharge 80,000 megalitres of treated wastewater into the sea each year. It contains 2736 tonnes of nitrogen and 495 tonnes of phosphorus, for families to frolic in at a day at the beach.

A $210 million State Government plan to recycle much of this eventually may see a 77 per cent reduction in nitrogen pumped into the Gulf, as 22,000 megalitres from Bolivar and 2000 megalitres from Christies Beach is re-used. Sewage sludge was directly discharged from Glenelg and Port Adelaide until as recently as 1993, devastating large tracts of seagrass.

It helped produce a 'dead zone' off Glenelg where seagrass has disappeared, leaving bare rock. This is having an impact on some of the 370 recorded species of fish and 6000 species of invertebrate (prawns, abalone, etc) which frequent the Gulf.

Increased turbidity, pesticides and extra nutrients also take their toll. So has polluted stormwater carrying heavy metals, toxic organic waste, hydrocarbons, nutrients, sediments, pathogenic micro-organisms and litter - including a mountain of cigarette butts.

This is being addressed by the creation of wetlands to naturally filter rubbish. Other threats to beaches include discarded hypodermic needles and litter. Then there are oil spills associated with Port Stanvac oil refinery fouling water and beaches.

Sunday Mail South Australia By Brad Crouch 18 June 2000

Whyalla's self-proclamation as the "Cuttle Capital" of Australia is absolutely true, for three months of the year - winter. From May to August, giant cuttles (Sepia apama) migrate from all over (scientists aren't sure how far) to gather in False Bay, Whyalla and have a three month long sexfest!

I went to Whyalla with eleven other divers to experience this awesome spectacle. We went first to the most famous spot to see the cuttles, an inconspicuous-looking place simply called 'the Fenceline' (guess why). The sea was glassy calm and the sun was shining, we could not have ordered better weather. We kitted up and plodded our way down to the water, dreading the cold! In only 2m of water we started to see cuttles and at 4m who needed to go deeper? There they all were, hundreds of them, in all their glory, we could hardly move without inadvertently touching them or kicking them with our fins. What I loved about this spot was that it would have been safe for children too.

Adjectives are poor things to use in describing this sight! There were cuttles of all sizes displaying numerous behaviours - courtship, aggression, sex, protection, egg-laying, sleeping, just about everything except eating! Even with 14-16 divers in the water with them they could not have cared less that we were there. Those creatures have a one-track mind at this time of year and there is a feeling of desperation in the water as the process continues both day and night. Oh yes, we braved the icy night to watch the critters and there they were, still flashing away - but what is it that they can see that we cannot? We can't see their flashes at night without our torches, so is there some kind of UV or IR signal that our eyes are too simple to pick up? The entire cephalopod family (consisting of nautilus, squid, cuttles and octopus) has very complex eyes, in some respects better than human eyes! They can most certainly see in colour with great acuity.

We were able to lie down on the rocky bottom and watch a group of cuttles interacting. Courtship seemed to consist of several activities, first up it is literally eyeing up another cuttle, they line up side by side and one will display to the other, never at the same time. The flashing display consists of only the side of the body facing the other cuttle producing a continuous series of black and white <-shaped stripes, originating in one corner of the body near the head and radiating out towards the rear. It is very difficult to describe. After this initial contact the other cuttle will decide whether to move on to the next step or disappear.

The next step is not so clear, I saw several different sequences of steps. If the cuttle that did not display stays around, then sometimes they will also display while the other one watches. Then there is sometimes some special, gentle touching with the tentacles or some "dancing". The touching was one of the most beautiful and moving behaviours. Generally it was the smaller of the two cuttles that would move towards the other one and very, very tentatively reach out with most of its tentacles to gently touch the tentacles of the other cuttle. It was so amazingly gentle and delicate, like the way human adults touch babies in case they cry or break. The "dancing" was any kind of movement that consisted of both cuttles still looking at one another and swimming, either in circles or just in a seemingly random movement. There might be other behaviours associated with courtship that we did not observe, but generally after all these behaviours have been approved by both cuttles (yes it is a mutual decision) they latch on head to head. They may spend up to 5 minutes or so locked like that while the male deposits sperm inside the female with a special appendage on one of his tentacles. While they are locked like this they will generally stop swimming and settle on the substrate, unless one or both are startled in which case they will stay locked but swim away.

After this lengthy procedure, the female will start to lay eggs, but none of us is quite sure how long after mating she does this. However, any female we saw laying eggs was jealously guarded by a male, most likely her mate, so he must stick around after sex! The male will fend off up to 6 other males at any one time. He stretches out to his full length and will (and this is the confusing bit) display the same black and white flashing that we all thought was courtship display. Now, as previously mentioned they were flashing at night too, so maybe whatever it is that they see that we can't changes but the black and white stays the same - I don't know!

When a female is laying it is very obvious, not only to the male that she is guarded by as she tightens all her tentacles in a close bunch under her body and her entire head turns white. She looks as if she is really straining and struggling! Then when ready to deposit an egg, she will stretch out her tentacles to the underside of a rock that she has chosen and deposit an egg by attaching it to the rock. The eggs are obvious, they are large white round things that look like they could be some kind of bizarre ascidian. We couldn't tell whether each egg was one egg or many, but I suspect they each only contain one embryo.

The variety of colours blew us all away, even me and I half knew what to expect. The few cuttles that chose not to participate in the mating activities displayed extraordinary camouflage amongst the Ecklonia. Between us we must have seen every colour in the rainbow - if only we could decipher this extraordinary form of communication!! I'm sure we all support Whyalla's bid to make this special place a Marine Protected Area. In fact an American marine biologist says he has been searching for something like this around the world for 15 years! So it has global importance too!

I must admit to being a complete wuss and only doing three dives, everyone else did much more. However my last dive was completely different to where the cuttles were mating. The habitat where the cuttles were doing their thing, was rather a boring rocky substrate with a couple of sponges and ascidians, lots of one kind of urchin (some of which had cuttle eggs stuck on their spines) and some brown algae, not very diverse.

We were on the side of a small peninsula, at the end of which is a beautiful lighthouse and dolphins on the side! There are actually eight pods of resident dolphins in the Whyalla area - what more could you want?! Anyway, the last dive was on a tyre reef, built especially for divers quite a few years ago. There is a small triangle within a large triangle, with old cars marking the corners. It is an area of moderate current flow so the habitat was dominated by filter feeders of every variety. There were zillions of different sponges, soft corals, ascidians, sea stars, cucumbers, pencil urchins. Fish included pygmy and full-size leatherjackets, a large porcupine fish, moonlighters, magpie perch, "grubs" and blennies. Other creatures included razor "fish" (I think I will start a personal lobby to change this name!), hydroids and filamentous red algae. The rest is all written down at home with my dive gear, but the list goes on. We went down to about 15m where it was very cold indeed and we could all feel the temperature change on the way back up.

Whyalla may not be much to look at on the land, but under the water lay hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered. As I have repeated to so many people over the last few weeks, it was like watching a nature documentary, but instead of a flat two dimensional screen, we were right inside, watching a glorious three dimensional technicolour show!