Flinders Ranges mogurnda
Encyclopedia
The Flinders Ranges mogurnda or Flinders Ranges purple spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda clivicola, also known as the Barcoo, or Bulloo mogurnda, is a Central Australian gudgeon of the Eleotridae
family
.
gudgeons
are found in permanent water in an isolated set of spring-fed
creeks in the southern Gammon Ranges National Park in the arid
South Australian outback. These creeks are often in very steep-sided, rocky gorges. This fish's habitat
is usually isolated into separate pools and then subject to floods that change the water level by several metres.
These fish have also been recorded in samples taken from the Barcoo
and Bulloo
Rivers hundreds of kilometres away from the main population, in the very different habitat of larger, muddy-bottomed rivers.
of approximately 13 cm. They are dark with a fine mottling of dark grey blotches on the upper side with semi-translucent fins. Usually their body is a paler colour underneath. These fish have a series of burnt orange coloured stripes running backwards down their cheeks looking like warpaint. Roughly around the lateral line
there is a display of burnt orange coloured spots interspersed with paler spots, with a single darker spot on the caudal peduncle. Males develop spectacular spawning
colours in summer, namely a more brilliant display of orange spots along the side and to the tail. The anal and spiny and soft dorsal fin
s are edged with a tiny iridescent blue-white stripe. These iridescent blue-white stripes are somewhat subtle on most of the fins but are prominent and eye-catching on the spiny dorsal fin. The males also develop a large amount of fat on the top of their heads, giving them a bulbous appearance.
These fish have, in recent times been victims of a dramatic, piebald
discolouration of unknown origin.
on the substrate
. In the Barcoo River, the species usually co-exists with up to 10 other fish species in the typically mud bottomed lowland streams of that system.
Their predators would consist mostly of larger birds. They are presumed to be ambush predators
. Tadpoles
, insects and other macroinvertebrates would probably form a large part of their diet. Breeding and spawning
is a complex ritual spread over days. These fish spawn when the water temperature reaches 20 degrees or higher. The males care for the eggs and will guard and fan the eggs with their pectoral fins. The males' behaviour becomes quite territorial
and aggressive during breeding season. They have been known to chase the other fish around.
Eleotridae
Sleeper gobies are members of the Eleotridae fish family, found predominantly in the tropical Indo-Pacific. There are approximately 35 genera and 150 species. While many eleotrids pass through a planktonic stage in the sea and some spend their entire lives in the sea, as adults the majority live in...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
.
Distribution
Flinders RangesFlinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
gudgeons
Gudgeon (fish)
Gudgeon is a common name for a number of small freshwater fishes of the families Cyprinidae, Eleotridae or Ptereleotridae. Most gudgeons are elongate, bottom-dwelling fish, many of which live in rapids and other fast moving water....
are found in permanent water in an isolated set of spring-fed
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
creeks in the southern Gammon Ranges National Park in the arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
South Australian outback. These creeks are often in very steep-sided, rocky gorges. This fish's habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
is usually isolated into separate pools and then subject to floods that change the water level by several metres.
These fish have also been recorded in samples taken from the Barcoo
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
and Bulloo
Bulloo River
The Bulloo River is an isolated drainage system in western Queensland, central Australia. Its floodplain, which extends into northern New South Wales, is an important area for waterbirds when inundated.-Description:...
Rivers hundreds of kilometres away from the main population, in the very different habitat of larger, muddy-bottomed rivers.
Description
Flinders Ranges mogurndas are medium sized fish, with a maximum total lengthFish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
of approximately 13 cm. They are dark with a fine mottling of dark grey blotches on the upper side with semi-translucent fins. Usually their body is a paler colour underneath. These fish have a series of burnt orange coloured stripes running backwards down their cheeks looking like warpaint. Roughly around the lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
there is a display of burnt orange coloured spots interspersed with paler spots, with a single darker spot on the caudal peduncle. Males develop spectacular spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
colours in summer, namely a more brilliant display of orange spots along the side and to the tail. The anal and spiny and soft dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
s are edged with a tiny iridescent blue-white stripe. These iridescent blue-white stripes are somewhat subtle on most of the fins but are prominent and eye-catching on the spiny dorsal fin. The males also develop a large amount of fat on the top of their heads, giving them a bulbous appearance.
These fish have, in recent times been victims of a dramatic, piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
discolouration of unknown origin.
Ecology and behaviour
In the Flinders Ranges, M. clivicola is the only species of fish found in the rocky pools which they inhabit. They will bask lying on the shallow shelves of deeper rock pools, with their tails to one side. From above, in this position, they closely resemble the fallen gum leavesEucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
on the substrate
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
. In the Barcoo River, the species usually co-exists with up to 10 other fish species in the typically mud bottomed lowland streams of that system.
Their predators would consist mostly of larger birds. They are presumed to be ambush predators
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
. Tadpoles
Tadpoles
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker , Michael Kite Audino and Josh Bracken In 1992, Nick Kramer , David Max and Andrew Jackson of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the...
, insects and other macroinvertebrates would probably form a large part of their diet. Breeding and spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
is a complex ritual spread over days. These fish spawn when the water temperature reaches 20 degrees or higher. The males care for the eggs and will guard and fan the eggs with their pectoral fins. The males' behaviour becomes quite territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
and aggressive during breeding season. They have been known to chase the other fish around.