An endangered fish species
Allan Wray, Senior Land Services Officer
You have probably heard of the Macquarie Perch, but have you heard of the endangered Blue Mountains Perch?
The Blue Mountains Perch has been found to have significant genetic differences to the Macquarie Perch and could soon be classified as a separate species, rather than a variation of the species. These fish populations are only found in streams at the most eastern edge of the Central Tablelands, within the Greater Blue Mountains area. They are distinctly smaller in size, have a darker colour and sometimes mottled appearance compared to the Macquarie Perch.
The final report from the Platypus Pals project has confirmed the presence of platypus in the Georges River in Campbelltown. Platypus were detected by.
OzFish: Fish forensics indicate not all is lost in the Georges River for the Macquarie perch
Macquarie perch. Image: Zeb Tonkin
NOT all is lost for the endangered Macquarie perch in Sydney’s Georges River after environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling of the water determined the presence of the endangered species in the waterway.
The DNA sampling project in south-western Sydney is a partnership between fishing conservation charity OzFish, through its partnership with Landcare NSW and Campbelltown City Council which activates the recreational fishing community in hands-on conservation efforts through citizen science.
Local volunteers assisted researchers by collecting water samples in a highly technical and coordinated response at various locations along the river. The samples are then analysed in a laboratory to pick up tiny DNA fragments left in the water by different species.