Scientists have made groundbreaking animal discoveries about four water-dwelling creatures native to Australia.
In three unique studies, experts have been able to identify, redefine and save aquatic animals. Each is a testament to the pioneering steps being taken in the bioscience industry, giving us new insight into the flora and fauna of our beautiful country.
The future of frogs
Scientists have released 25 green and golden bell frogs, extinct in the Australian Capital Territory for over four decades, back into their local habitat.
The green and golden bell frog population was devastated by the deadly chytrid fungal disease, responsible for wiping out 90 amphibian species over the last 50 years. While the species is still found in northeastern VIC and coastal NSW, numbers have steadily declined due to infection.
The frog can grow up to 8.5 centimetres in length, and is known for its bright green colour and gold patches, although it can become almost entirely brown when cold. It often swims in mid-depth and surface water, and takes between three and eleven months to develop from tadpole to frog.
The recent cohort of frogs released in Canberra is the first of 15 releases scheduled for all around the city, totalling around 375 frogs. Every frog has been immunised against chytridiomycosis, and microchipped for continued study. The volunteer team has even named the adorable creatures, with creative suggestions including James Pond and Dua Leaper.
To give the amphibians the best chance at survival, scientists have dug 60 “frog spas” and installed 180 “frog saunas” at the wetland sites where the frogs will be released. The spas and saunas are intended to provide shelters from disease. The saunas are perspex pyramids surrounding a three-level tower of bricks which heat the frogs at a temperature lethal to the chytrid fungi. The spas have a high salt concentration that negatively impacts the fungi without hurting the frogs.
The goal of the project is to build frog populations of around 200 at each of the sites. Dr Jarrod Sopniewski, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Canberra, says “one female can have up to 8,000 eggs, so their population growth should start really rapidly if our interventions against chytrid are helping those initial founders survive and reproduce.”
Locating ancient lampreys
Further north, researchers have identified an endangered species of lamprey outside its usual habitat range, offering new insight into the best ways to protect this unique animal.
A lamprey is an ancient fish dating back to the pre-dinosaur era. The eel-like creature has no jaw or scales, replacing a ‘normal’ mouth with a sucker-like disc lined with sharp teeth used to feed on the blood and tissue of other fish. While they may look scary, these strange aquatic animals only feed as juveniles, then stop eating entirely as adults.
There are five species of lamprey in the southern hemisphere. The Australian brook lamprey, also known as ‘vegan dracula’ as it doesn’t feed on other fish, is currently listed as endangered. However, Griffith University aquatic ecologist, Dr. Luke Carpenter-Bundhoo, recently noticed this particular species in K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island), almost 1,400 kilometres away from the area it was originally found in.
“After sampling this type of habitat for a few years, I was pretty confident in my knowledge of fish species on K’gari, and then suddenly a species popped up that I had never seen before,” Dr Carpenter-Bundhoo says. “I knew it was a lamprey, but I had no idea what kind, or that they even occurred at these latitudes.”
After learning that another scientist, David Moffatt, had also found lampreys in Queensland, the pair decided to team up and study the unique sightings of these ancient creatures.
Prior to their findings, lampreys were thought to be anti-tropical, and now researchers hope to develop a better understanding of where they live. They believe this will help to protect the endangered species, since rising sea levels means the coastal streams it calls home may become saltwater habitats in the future.
“This is not an opportunity we often get as conservationists, and certainly not one to be wasted,” Dr Carpenter-Bundhoo concludes.
Deep-sea discoveries
Moving from shallow streams to deep-sea habitats, another group of Aussie researchers have discovered two new species off the coast of Western Australia. With the help of specimens collected on a CSIRO-led voyage in 2022, on the research vessel Investigator, the team have identified a new type of lanternshark and crab.
Six shark specimens were collected at depths of 610 metres in the Gascoyne Marine Park. With the help of Dr Will White from the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection, the team were able to identify them as a new type of lanternshark.
The West Australian Lanternshark is a small animal, with the largest specimen growing to only 407 millimeters. The sharks have large eyes to help them see at great depths, slender bodies and a sharp spine. These incredible creatures can glow in the dark, producing photophores on their belly and flanks.
Experts have also announced a new species of porcelain crab, known as Porcellanella brevidentata. Stretching 15 millimetres in length, the opalescent white and yellow crabs are filter feeders, using mouths with long hairs to sweep the water for food. They were found during a survey of the Ningaloo coast, at a depth of 122 metres.
According to Dr Andrew Hosie, curator of Aquatic Zoology from the Western Australian Museum, “the new species of porcelain crab lives a symbiotic life with sea pens, which are a group of soft corals related to sea fans, where they will hide among the ‘leaves’ of the host.”
So far, specimens on the Investigator voyage have contributed to the identification of nearly 20 new species, with researchers estimating there could be another 600 species still waiting to be studied. The deep sea remains mostly unexplored, so these biodiversity surveys are crucial to developing our understanding of this rich terrain.
To read about scientists’ plan to protect killer whales, click here.