After discussions with local researchers I decided to give up on cast netting and try seining for clupeiforms instead. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have not been seining because crocodiles make it unsafe to wade in most coastal waters in northern Australia. However, I was told that as long as I am careful, I can get into the water in certain habitats that crocs don't frequent. Dr. Marcus Sheaves (James Cook University) helped me identify a local beach safe for seining as I was not confident that I could distinguish between safe vs. dangerous locations myself. We decided to try Rowes Bay Beach (right next to Townsville) a place where I have previously gone cast netting and not caught any clupeiforms. I had three volunteers (Christina Buelow, Anya Jaeckli, and Lea Stolpmann) help me seine. We were immediately successful, catching three species of clupeiforms, Hamilton's thryssa (Thryssa hamiltonii), white sardine (Escualosa thoracata), and broadhead anchovy (Stolephorus brachycephalus), on the first day! We collected four more times in Rowes Bay and caught many more anchovy specimens including two additional clupeiform species: Devis' anchovy (Encrasicholina devisi) and wolf herring (Chirocentrus dorab).
Species cataloged in Bell Museum of Natural History:
Family Engraulidae (anchovies): Thryssa hamiltonii, Stolephorus brachycephalus, Stolephorus nelsoni
Family Clupeidae (herrings): Escualosa thoracata
Family Sillaginidae (whitings): Sillago sp.
Family Hemiraphidae (halfbeaks): Hyporamphus dussumieri
Family Polynemidae (threadfins): Eleutheronema teradactylus
Family Platycephalidae (flatheads): Platycephalidae sp.
Family Callionymidae (dragonets): Callionymidae sp.
Family Gobiidae (gobies): Gobiidae sp.
Family Cynoglossidae (tonguefishes): Cynoglossidae sp.
Collecting event details:
Lat/long: -19.216522, 146.778134
Times: 07:30 to 09:30, 07:00 to 09:00, 08:30 to 11:00, 08:15 to 10:15, 15:30 to 17:30
Dates: 17 July 2014, 18 July 2014, 21 July 2014, 27 July 2014, 28 July 2014
Species cataloged in Bell Museum of Natural History:
Family Engraulidae (anchovies): Thryssa hamiltonii, Stolephorus brachycephalus, Stolephorus nelsoni
Family Clupeidae (herrings): Escualosa thoracata
Family Sillaginidae (whitings): Sillago sp.
Family Hemiraphidae (halfbeaks): Hyporamphus dussumieri
Family Polynemidae (threadfins): Eleutheronema teradactylus
Family Platycephalidae (flatheads): Platycephalidae sp.
Family Callionymidae (dragonets): Callionymidae sp.
Family Gobiidae (gobies): Gobiidae sp.
Family Cynoglossidae (tonguefishes): Cynoglossidae sp.
Collecting event details:
Lat/long: -19.216522, 146.778134
Times: 07:30 to 09:30, 07:00 to 09:00, 08:30 to 11:00, 08:15 to 10:15, 15:30 to 17:30
Dates: 17 July 2014, 18 July 2014, 21 July 2014, 27 July 2014, 28 July 2014