Kimberley Rivers & Streams - A Global Ecoregion
Highly endemic freshwater fauna
Snapshot: Ecoregion 167
Size:
287,000 sq. km (115,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Small Rivers
Geographic Location:
Northwestern Australia
Conservation Status:
Relatively Stable/Intact
Quiz Time!
Why is the Kimberley "grunter" so called?
Answer:
Some fish are well described by their names. Grunters, for example, emit a grunting noise produced by external muscles vibrating against the swim bladder (a gas-filled sac that fish use to adjust their buoyancy). There are about 45 species of grunters in the world, some of which can be found in the Kimberley Rivers and Streams.
About the Area
Characterised by a rugged landscape with intermittent streams and ephemeral swamps, this ecoregion exhibits a highly endemic freshwater fauna.
For example, of the 50 odd fish species found here, about 12 are endemic. Two important areas for freshwater biodiversity are found within the protected areas of Drysdale River National Park and the Prince Regent Nature Reserve.Local Species
The endemic fish families include the Gudgeons (Eleotridae), Grunters (Terapontidae), Hardyheads (Atherinidae), and Rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae).
Endemic fish in the Eleotridae family include Slender gudgeon (Hypseleotris ejuncida), Barnett River gudgeon (Hypseleotris kimberleyensis), and the only two members of the endemic genus Kimberleyeleotris - Mitchell gudgeon (K. hutchinsi) and Drysdale gudgeon (K. notata).
Freshwater fish include several species of venomous Eel-tail catfishes (Tandanus spp.), Kimberley grunter (Syncomistes kimberleyensis), Greenway's grunter (Hannia greenwayi), and Pygmy rainbowfish (Melanotaenia pygmaea).
In addition to a number of aquatic snakes, such as Liasis fuscus, freshwaters in this ecoregion also support populations of several aquatic lizards, including Mitchell's and Mertens' water monitors (Varanus mitchelli, V. mertinsi).
Turtles found here include the Northern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina rugosa), Northern snapping turtle (Elseya dentata), and Victoria short-necked turtle (Emydura victoriae). Both freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) occur here as well.
Threats
There is one large dam on the Ord River, but most waterways still retain their natural patterns of flow. Main threats to the ecoregion come from overgrazing, mining, tourism, and introduced species.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
