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Sydney Larval Fish Project

The project

Scientists from the Australian Museum's fish section are researching the early life history (pelagic larval phase) of local fish species. This phase is between:

• spawning, where the adult fish cast eggs and sperm into the water column, and
• settlement, when the baby fish, or fish larva gains it's adult characteristics and/or finds a place to settle

The Australian Museum fish team, suspect that "the larvae of many New South Wales fish species are completing their pelagic larval phase inshore. Previous research has concentrated on what larval fishes occur offshore. Different fish species also spawn at different times of the year, our project will also be looking at the change in abundance and diversity over time." Amanda Hay

The team takes the Museum's research boat Baragula out each month to collect larval fishes in plankton samples. Plankton is made up of animals and plants that live in the water column and included tiny larval fishes. The plankton samples are collected from two sites just outside of Sydney Heads in inshore waters and are then brought back to the Australian Museum to be sorted and identified.

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002