Golden-red Stiphodon (Stiphodon rutilaureus)

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The annual pattern below combines the reported Stiphodon breeding cycle with the species' amphidromous movement between freshwater and the sea. The timing of upstream recruitment is not given specifically for golden-red Stiphodon, so movement periods are shown as general Stiphodon biology rather than as a precise local forecast.

Before clearing or in-stream works in the Queensland Wet Tropics, inspect suitable shallow rocky habitat and consider the downstream estuary and marine pathway. Apply Queensland no take and threatened species requirements to any handling or relocation.

• Breeding: Peak breeding is June to November. Gonadal activity reduces from December to April.
• Young: Eggs are attached beneath rocks and hatch in less than 24 hours in studied Stiphodon cases. Larvae are initially undeveloped and drift downstream to the sea, so the freshwater young stage is brief and not timed specifically for this species.
• Movement and recruitment: Larvae develop in marine conditions before settling and migrating upstream. The upstream journey may take several months. A species-specific month pattern for recruitment was not provided.
• Highest clearing risk: Clearing and in-stream disturbance are most likely to harm adults, spawning sites and eggs during the June to November peak breeding period. Works can also affect larvae, recruitment and adult habitat outside this period because the species depends on freshwater to sea connectivity year-round.

Identification

This is a very small, bottom dwelling goby with a fused pelvic disc that allows it to cling to rocks in flowing water. Identification in the field should be based on body pattern, fin characters, habitat and close comparison with other Stiphodon species, preferably with underwater photographs.

The species has an elongate, slender body and a disc-like fused pelvic fin. It is usually seen resting on or moving across submerged bedrock, boulders, cobbles and other hard surfaces. It may face into the current while grazing biofilm in shallow riffle and run habitat.

Adults are small. The aquarium profile gives a maximum of 35 mm standard length, while the Australian Wet Tropics study recorded all observed individuals at less than 40 mm total length. No body-weight information was provided in the documents.

Length: About 35 mm standard length in the species profile; less than 40 mm total length in the Australian Wet Tropics sample

Typical position: Benthic, on hard substrates in shallow low-flow water, riffles and runs

• During surveys, search the stream bed rather than the water column. Look for small gobies attached to rocks or making short movements between grazing surfaces.
• Use underwater photographs where possible, because colour and fin characters are important and males may change colour during social interactions.

Identification: Colour and fin characters

Mature males have 9 to 11 bright orange or red vertical body bars, 6 to 7 dark dorsal saddles, a pale belly and blue on the upper lip, cheek and opercle. A reddish band runs from behind the eye towards the pectoral-fin base.

The first dorsal fin is reddish and may have dark bars and filamentous spines. The second dorsal fin is black, with a medial white band or white bars and a thin white distal band. The caudal fin is reddish and has gold stripes extending from the upper and lower fin bases towards the central rays.

The species is also characterised by 10 segmented rays in the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fin usually has 14 rays, although fin-ray counts may require a clear photograph or specimen examination.

Identification: Sexes and similar species

Females are relatively plain, with a pale base colour and one dark mid-lateral body stripe. The Queensland Wet Tropics account also describes a black spot at the caudal-fin base, encircled by yellow to red.

The orange cling goby is smaller than the black Stiphodon recorded in the Wet Tropics. In the study sample, golden-red Stiphodon were all less than 40 mm total length, while black Stiphodon commonly occurred in the 51 to 80 mm size range. Habitat position can also assist: golden-red Stiphodon used the lower freshwater reaches, often immediately upstream of the tidal mark, and commonly occupied cobbles and some sand. Other Stiphodon species in the same stream were more associated with boulders or bedrock.

There are no tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine to record. The most useful field signs are direct sightings of small benthic fish, grazing marks or fish activity on biofilm-covered rocks, and photographs showing the pelvic disc, body pattern and dorsal fins.

• Do not identify a plain female from body colour alone. Record the caudal-fin base, lateral stripe, size, substrate and position relative to the tidal limit.
• Treat fish from mixed Stiphodon sites as requiring confirmation where the pattern, size or habitat does not fit clearly.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, the species is known from Queensland, in the Wet Tropics of north-eastern Australia. Its Australian distribution appears highly localised, with fish concentrated in short stream reaches rather than being evenly distributed through a catchment.

The documented Australian range is in the Queensland Wet Tropics. Records are from short, steep coastal streams that drain directly or almost directly to the sea, including Pauls Pocket Creek. The provided documents do not identify records from other Australian states or territories.

The species has a wider Indo-Pacific range extending from northern Papua New Guinea through the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands to Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji. The Queensland Wet Tropics account also lists Indonesia and Papua New Guinea within the broader range.

Australian state: Queensland

Australian bioregion or region: Wet Tropics of north-eastern Queensland

Known Australian sites in the supplied records: Pauls Pocket Creek and Cooper Creek survey area, although the species was recorded in Pauls Pocket Creek and not Cooper Creek

Global range: Northern Papua New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and parts of Indonesia

• For Australian projects, treat suitable habitat in the Wet Tropics as potential habitat even where a particular creek has no previous record.
• Give priority to low-order, steep-gradient streams with a short connection to an estuary or the sea.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

In the Queensland survey, 38 golden-red Stiphodon were recorded in Pauls Pocket Creek. They occupied the lowest freshwater reaches immediately upstream of a small brackish closed-estuary lagoon and were commonly found in riffle and run sequences.

The survey authors reported that Stiphodon may aggregate in short reaches on the scale of a few hundred metres. The 38 fish recorded in Pauls Pocket Creek should not be treated as a catchment population estimate or an Australian population total.

Recorded count: 38 individuals in Pauls Pocket Creek during the reported survey

Recorded count in Cooper Creek: 0 individuals

Observed sex ratio in Pauls Pocket Creek: 1.7 males to 1 female, based on 24 individuals

Population trend: Not established. The study described Australian populations as small and localised, with further surveys required

Habitat: Stream setting

Golden-red Stiphodon occupies clear, well-oxygenated freshwater streams, usually in short coastal catchments with a strong connection to the sea. In Australia, the most relevant habitat is shallow, rocky stream bed in the lower freshwater reach, often close to the tidal limit.

The species is associated with tropical, often volcanic, short coastal streams. Typical Stiphodon habitat includes narrow runs and riffles, with wider and slower stretches between them. Golden-red Stiphodon belongs to the group associated with fast-flowing, higher-gradient habitat, although Australian observations also recorded it in low-flow or no-surface-flow areas within pools.

In Pauls Pocket Creek, the species occupied the lowest freshwater reaches immediately upstream of a small brackish closed-estuary lagoon. This short connection to the sea is relevant because the species has a marine larval stage.

Water clarity: Clear water is typical

Oxygen: Well-oxygenated water is characteristic

Australian depth observation: Most records were in water less than 0.5 m deep

Flow observation: Most individuals were in no-flow or low-flow areas, with some close to high surface flow

• Retain the physical connection between the freshwater reach, estuary and sea during stream works.
• Avoid treating a dry or slow pool as unsuitable without considering recent flow conditions and the presence of submerged hard surfaces.

Habitat: Substrate and structure

The stream bed is normally bedrock with scattered rocks and boulders. In the Australian study, golden-red Stiphodon was frequently associated with cobbles and, to a lesser extent, sand. It occurred in riffle and run sequences and sometimes grazed on shallow hard surfaces while facing into the current.

Submerged leaf litter and streamside vegetation may be present, but aquatic plants are not usually a major feature of the natural habitat. The key structural resources are stable submerged rock, cobble and bedrock surfaces with attached biofilm, together with varied flow and broken stream-bed structure.

• Protect stable cobbles, bedrock, boulders and shallow riffle surfaces from removal, burial and sediment coating.
• Maintain riparian cover and prevent soil, spoil and construction runoff from entering the stream.

Habitat: Elevation and climate

The species is associated with tropical streams. The type locality in Papua New Guinea was at about 350 m elevation, and the species profile describes the Australian and wider group as typically using higher-altitude, rapidly flowing stream habitat above waterfalls or cataracts. The Australian record supplied here was from lowland freshwater reaches near the tidal limit, so elevation use is not uniform across the range.

No Australian upper or lower elevation limit was provided. The relevant Australian climatic area is the high-rainfall Wet Tropics.

Foraging habitat: Food

Golden-red Stiphodon is a specialised grazer of benthic biofilm. It feeds from submerged rock and other firm surfaces, using its mouth and pelvic disc to remain attached while grazing in flowing water.

The diet consists mainly of benthic algae and associated microorganisms. Preferred algal groups include diatoms, cyanobacteria and green algae. The species has specialised subterminal, protrusible mouthparts and replaceable teeth suited to scraping and grazing.

In the Australian Wet Tropics, individuals were observed grazing biofilm in shallow water, generally facing head-first into the current. The documents do not provide a quantified foraging range or daily movement distance.

Primary food: Benthic algae, including diatoms, cyanobacteria and green algae

Feeding location: Biofilm-covered submerged rock, cobble, bedrock and other hard surfaces

Foraging range: Not quantified; observations indicate localised grazing within occupied stream reaches

• Assess submerged rocks, cobbles and bedrock for attached biofilm when evaluating habitat.
• Prevent fine sediment, nutrients and other pollutants from coating or changing the biofilm-covered surfaces used for feeding.

Foraging habitat: Feeding microhabitat

The species is mainly benthic and was recorded in shallow water, especially less than 0.5 m deep. It commonly used cobble, with some use of sand, and occurred in riffle-run sequences immediately upstream of the tidal mark.

The pelvic disc helps the fish hold position on submerged surfaces. This makes stable hard substrate and suitable flow more important than dense aquatic vegetation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in freshwater, but successful recruitment depends on an open freshwater to estuary to sea pathway. Eggs are attached to the underside of rocks, and newly hatched larvae must reach the sea soon after hatching.

A strongly coloured male selects or defends a spawning site, usually beneath a rock, and courts a female. The male guards the egg mass after fertilisation. The species profile reports that no Stiphodon species has yet been raised successfully through the full life cycle in captivity.

The details below include species-level information where supplied and general Stiphodon observations where the source describes the genus. The larval duration figures are from another Stiphodon species and should not be treated as a measured value for golden-red Stiphodon.

Breeding season: Peak breeding is June to November; gonadal activity reduces during the cooler period from December to April

Spawning site: Usually beneath rocks or on the underside of solid surfaces

Egg number: Up to about 10,000 eggs in a spawning event, based on Stiphodon observations

Egg size: About 0.5 mm diameter

Egg incubation: Less than 24 hours in studied Stiphodon cases

Larval stage: Newly hatched larvae drift downstream to the sea and develop in marine conditions

Pelagic larval duration: 78 to 146 days in the studied species Stiphodon percnopterygionus, not measured for S. rutilaureus

Age at maturity: Sexual maturity within about one year, based on Stiphodon biology

Lifespan: About two years is suggested for Stiphodon; a species-specific estimate was not provided

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat requires stable submerged rocks or similar solid surfaces, clear and oxygenated water, and access downstream to the sea. The short incubation period and undeveloped larvae indicate that blockage or severe disruption of the downstream pathway can affect recruitment even when adult habitat remains present.

Suitable adult habitat in the Australian Wet Tropics includes shallow cobble and rocky riffle-run areas near the lower freshwater reach. Avoid removing or shifting rocks that may provide spawning surfaces.

• Keep the freshwater channel connected to the estuary and sea during construction and operation.
• Do not place sediment, spoil or temporary structures over shallow rocky habitat or beneath potential spawning rocks.
• Schedule in-channel disturbance outside the June to November peak breeding period where practicable, and use fish survey and relocation procedures required by Queensland approvals.

Sheltering habitat: Resting and cover sites

The documents do not describe permanent dens or burrows for this fish. Shelter and resting places are provided by stream-bed structure, especially spaces beneath and between rocks in shallow, clear water.

Adults use submerged rocks, cobbles, boulders and bedrock as resting and attachment surfaces. Stiphodon males may dig into the substrate when sleeping or spawning, and fish may use spaces beneath rocks. They do not necessarily use the same resting place each night, and females may occupy uninhabited burrows.

The supplied documents do not give dimensions for shelter spaces, nor do they report nests, hollows, burrows with measured entrances or other fixed refuge structures.

Known refuge type: Spaces beneath and between submerged rocks and other stable stream-bed structure

Shelter dimensions: Not provided

Fixed nest or den: No permanent nest or den described

• Retain embedded rocks and connected interstitial spaces in the channel bed.
• Avoid vibration, excavation, rock removal and sediment deposition in shallow rocky reaches that provide resting or spawning cover.

Sheltering habitat: Habitat conditions

Clear, well-oxygenated water and a mixture of rock sizes provide the physical conditions used by this benthic fish. Riparian vegetation and submerged leaf litter may occur, but the key shelter features are stable hard substrates and varied flow rather than dense aquatic plant cover.

Threats: Clearing and stream works

The species has a restricted and patchy Australian distribution, with records concentrated in short stream reaches. Works that alter flow, substrate, water quality, riparian cover or access to the sea can affect both adults and recruitment.

Clearing or degrading riparian vegetation can increase runoff, bank instability, water temperature and sediment delivery. The Queensland risk assessment rated riparian vegetation clearing and degradation as a high risk for lowland specialist cling gobies, including golden-red Stiphodon.

Aquatic habitat degradation, including sedimentation and simplification of the stream bed, can remove or coat the rock and cobble surfaces used for feeding, shelter and spawning. Water-quality degradation from toxicants, suspended sediment and nutrients was also identified as a risk.

• Keep riparian vegetation beside occupied and potential habitat wherever project design allows.
• Use sediment and erosion controls before ground disturbance begins, and inspect them after rainfall.
• Do not simplify the channel by removing cobbles, bedrock, boulders or shallow riffle structure.

Threats: Hydrology and connectivity

Altered hydrology, including flow regulation and water extraction, was rated very high risk for lowland cling gobies. Changes in rainfall, runoff and flow regimes were also rated very high risk. Impoundment can remove or alter riverine habitat.

Golden-red Stiphodon needs connectivity between adult freshwater habitat and the sea because larvae drift downstream and juveniles return upstream. Barriers, modified crossings, altered discharge or changes to the estuary can therefore affect recruitment and distribution.

• Maintain natural flow timing and avoid sudden changes in discharge through occupied reaches.
• Keep culverts, temporary crossings and other structures from blocking movement between freshwater, estuary and sea.
• Assess both upstream adult habitat and the downstream larval pathway before approving in-stream works.

Threats: Climate, floods and drought

The Queensland risk assessment identified rising temperatures, heatwaves, drought, extreme rainfall, cyclones and extreme floods as risks. Changes in rainfall and flow regimes were rated very high risk, while extreme floods and drought were also rated very high risk for the lowland cling goby group.

Extreme events can affect shallow rocky habitat, biofilm, water quality, substrate stability and the connection between occupied reaches and the sea.

• Avoid interpreting post-flood absence as proof that a reach is unused. Re-survey suitable habitat after flow conditions stabilise.
• Protect riparian cover and stable channel structure, which can reduce local effects of runoff and bank erosion.

Threats: Introduced species, visitors and collection

Invasive terrestrial animals and livestock were rated very high risk for lowland cling gobies. Invasive fish and translocated native fish were rated moderate risk. Increased human and pet visitor use, together with modification of riparian and in-stream areas, was rated moderate risk.

The species profile notes that Stiphodon are attractive aquarium fish and that collection has threatened populations elsewhere in the Pacific. The Queensland material records the species as no take under the Queensland Fisheries Act.

• Control livestock access and prevent trampling, bank damage and direct disturbance of shallow rocky habitat.
• Do not collect, retain or relocate individuals unless authorised under the relevant Queensland approvals.
• Prevent release or movement of aquarium fish and other non-local aquatic animals into the catchment.

Threats: Roads, disease and fire

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific disease threat or a direct road mortality pattern. Road construction and crossings remain relevant where they cause sedimentation, altered flow, bank clearing, channel simplification or loss of freshwater to estuary connectivity.

Fire was not identified as a direct high-risk threat in the supplied material. Its main project relevance is indirect, through loss of riparian cover and increased erosion or sediment delivery after fire.

• Assess road and utility crossings for their effects on flow, substrate, sediment and fish passage rather than treating the crossing footprint alone as the impact area.
• Apply post-fire erosion and sediment controls near potential habitat.
• Record and report any fish disease, unusual mortality or road related incidents because species-specific evidence is limited.

Survey methodology: 1. Snorkel visual census

Survey this species in clear, shallow, short coastal streams in the Queensland Wet Tropics, especially low order streams that flow directly to the sea. Focus on riffle and run sequences, shallow pools, cobble and smaller boulder beds, and reaches near the tidal limit.

Use snorkelling as the primary survey method where water depth, flow and safety conditions allow. Stiphodon are benthic, conspicuous while grazing biofilm, and can be counted by observing the stream bed directly.

Survey the full length of each selected reach rather than relying only on a wide pool. The study refined its method to a single longitudinal pass after testing triple passes in one pool.

Record the number, sex where possible, life stage, estimated length, position, substrate, depth and flow for every animal observed.

Recorded Australian size: All individuals in the study were less than 40 mm total length.

Typical shallow-water use: 71 percent frequency of occurrence in water 0 to 0.5 m deep at Pauls Pocket Creek.

Observed flow use: Usually no surface flow or low flow, but occasionally close to high surface flow while grazing biofilms.

• Prioritise shallow water, riffle to run sequences, pool margins and areas immediately upstream of the tidal mark.
• Search cobble and smaller boulder habitat, as this species was commonly associated with cobbles and, to a lesser extent, sand in the Australian Wet Tropics.
• Inspect biofilm covered surfaces and watch for fish facing into the current while grazing.
• Record co-occurring Stiphodon species because the species may share pools with other cling gobies, but can also occur alone.

Survey methodology: 2. Repeat-pass calibration

Use repeat passes where abundance estimates are important, where the reach is difficult to search, or where the first survey produces an unexpected result. A triple-pass survey of a single pool showed that single-pass counts were reasonably reliable, although some females moved during the survey.

Complete the passes using the same observers, direction and search method where practicable. Keep the reach and survey conditions consistent between passes.

Study count for this species: 38 individuals were recorded at Pauls Pocket Creek and none at Cooper Creek during the reported survey.

Observed distribution: The species occupied the lowest freshwater reaches of Pauls Pocket Creek, immediately upstream of a small brackish closed-estuary lagoon.

Survey scale: Stiphodon assemblages may occur in short reaches of a few hundred metres.

• Use a triple pass in at least one representative pool or reach when calibrating a new survey approach or checking whether fish are avoiding observers.
• Record the time taken for each pass, observer details, water conditions and any fish movement seen between passes.
• Do not treat a single count as the total catchment population, because the study found that Stiphodon were concentrated in short reaches and could be missed by broad surveys.

Survey methodology: 3. Reach and habitat assessment

Map the aquatic habitat before counting fish. The survey design should cover the longitudinal position of the reach, its connection to the estuary, and the substrate and flow conditions used by the species.

Assess whether the proposed work could remove or degrade clear, oxygenated water, shallow riffle and run habitat, cobbles, smaller boulders, biofilm surfaces, riparian cover or the short stream connection to the sea.

Typical habitat: Clear, well oxygenated tropical streams, with bedrock, rocks and boulders, riffles, runs and slower stretches.

Australian microhabitat: The species was primarily in shallow water and commonly associated with cobbles, with some use of sand.

Stream setting: Short, steep coastal streams and low order streams that drain directly to the sea are the priority setting.

• Measure or estimate reach length, wetted width, water depth, flow class, substrate classes and distance to the tidal or brackish limit.
• Photograph representative bedrock, boulder, cobble, gravel and sand areas, including biofilm covered surfaces.
• Record recent rainfall, turbidity, sediment deposits, barriers, water quality concerns and any altered flow or water extraction.
• Survey adjoining upstream and downstream reaches where works could change flow, sediment movement or access to the sea.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

• Use a longitudinal snorkel visual census of each suitable affected reach, with a triple pass in a representative pool or reach where detection reliability needs to be tested.
• Time surveys for safe daylight snorkelling conditions and clear water, and postpone the count when turbidity, flood flow or unsafe conditions prevent reliable observation.
• Record zero detections with the surveyed reach, effort, conditions and habitat description, because the species has a patchy distribution and may be absent from nearby suitable streams.
• Have a suitably qualified aquatic ecologist assess species identification where Stiphodon species occur together, because several species can share pools and females may be difficult to separate.
• Submit verified records, including coordinates, date, observer, survey effort, abundance, photographs and habitat data, to the relevant Queensland wildlife or biodiversity database and project regulator.
• Keep permits, approvals, raw counts, photographs, habitat maps, incidental observations and any handling or relocation records with the project environmental records.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat occupied stream habitat as a project constraint before design and clearing. The species has a small, patchy distribution in Australian streams and depends on clean, oxygenated water, rocky surfaces and access between freshwater and the sea.

Keep works out of the stream bed, banks, riparian zone and estuary connection wherever practicable. Avoid changing the short freshwater reach used by the species immediately upstream of the tidal limit.

Retain clear flow paths, shallow riffles and runs, cobbles, smaller boulders, bedrock, biofilm covered surfaces and riparian vegetation. Avoid sedimentation, channel simplification, toxicants, nutrient inputs and loss of flow.

• Set the construction footprint outside occupied or potentially occupied aquatic habitat wherever practicable.
• Retain upstream and downstream aquatic connectivity and prevent new barriers between the freshwater reach and the sea.
• Use existing access points and keep machinery, stockpiles, fuels, concrete washout and spoil away from the channel and banks.
• Design crossings and temporary works to maintain the existing bed, flow, water quality and fish passage.
• Protect the reach from altered hydrology, water extraction, impoundment and increased sediment delivery.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project planning

The species is not listed under the EPBC Act in the supplied information, but it is listed as Vulnerable in Queensland. Confirm the current legal status before works start and obtain all required Queensland approvals and permits.

Queensland material identifies the Wet Tropics cling gobies as No take species under the Queensland Fisheries Act. Do not collect, possess, move or release animals unless the responsible authority has approved the activity and the person is authorised.

Queensland status supplied: Vulnerable.

EPBC Act status supplied: Not listed.

Queensland management information: No take species under the Queensland Fisheries Act, according to the supplied Queensland assessment.

• Confirm whether the project needs Queensland fisheries, protected wildlife, waterway, vegetation clearing, water quality or referral approvals.
• Ask the regulator whether a fauna management plan, aquatic fauna permit or qualified fauna spotter catcher is required.
• Include the species, its habitat, survey results, exclusion zones, aquatic controls, stop-work triggers and incident contacts in the construction environmental management plan.
• Stage works to keep an occupied reach connected and suitable throughout construction.
• Schedule in-stream works outside periods of high flow, extreme rainfall and poor visibility, subject to the approved method and regulator advice.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete the aquatic survey and habitat assessment before finalising the work area. Mark retained stream habitat, riparian protection areas, access routes, exclusion zones and no-go areas on plans and on the ground.

A terrestrial tree or hollow inspection alone is not an adequate pre-clearance check for this species. The relevant habitat is the stream channel, banks, shallow bed, rocky surfaces and connection to the estuary.

• Use flagging, fencing or clearly visible signs to mark the approved aquatic disturbance boundary.
• Install exclusion fencing where it can prevent machinery, spoil, sediment and people entering retained stream habitat without obstructing fish passage or flood flows.
• Brief all operators on the species appearance, its preference for shallow rocky habitat, the no take requirement and the stop-work process.
• Prepare clean equipment, spill kits, turbidity controls, pump screens and a safe method for isolating any approved in-stream work area.
• Nominate an ecologist, fauna spotter catcher and regulator contact who can make decisions if the species is found.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Use the aquatic fauna spotter catcher or qualified aquatic ecologist as part of the work crew, not as a final check after machinery has entered the channel. Protect water quality, flow and fish passage throughout each shift.

Inspect the exclusion boundary, stream, banks, erosion controls and downstream water before work starts each day and after rainfall or an unplanned discharge.

Keep machinery on approved access routes and out of retained channel habitat. Do not allow refuelling, servicing, concrete handling, washout or chemical storage beside the stream.

The fauna spotter catcher must have a clear line of communication with the supervisor and plant operators and must be able to stop work immediately when aquatic fauna or unsafe conditions are identified.

• Check turbidity, visible sediment, flow, oil or chemical contamination and any change in the channel before commencing work.
• Use sediment and erosion controls that do not release fibres, plastics, cement, hydrocarbons or fine sediment into the water.
• Maintain downstream flow and fish passage during any approved isolation, diversion, pumping or crossing activity.
• Stop work if controls fail, water becomes visibly turbid, a spill reaches the water, fish passage is blocked, or the work area expands beyond the approved footprint.
• Reinspect the downstream reach after any plant movement, dewatering, rainfall or accidental discharge.

During habitat disturbance: Finding and handling a fish

If a Golden-red Stiphodon is found in the disturbance area, stop the activity that could affect the fish and keep machinery clear. The authorised aquatic fauna specialist must assess whether the animal can remain in place or must be moved.

Do not catch, handle, retain or transport the fish unless the person, method and destination are authorised under the relevant Queensland approvals. The species is identified as a No take species in the supplied Queensland assessment.

• Keep the fish in water and avoid chasing it through shallow rocky habitat or exposing it to air unnecessarily.
• Use only the capture equipment, water quality controls, holding method and release location specified in the approved fauna management plan or permit.
• If relocation is authorised, release the fish into nearby retained habitat with comparable shallow rocky substrate, clean oxygenated water, suitable flow and continued access to the stream and sea.
• Do not release the fish into another catchment or an isolated waterbody.
• Send injured or contaminated fish to the nominated aquatic wildlife veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, following the approval and regulator instructions.
• Record the species identification, location, time, cause of handling, authorisation, condition, method, release location and outcome.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature protection and stop work

This species does not depend on terrestrial hollows, nests or burrows. The relevant features to protect are the wetted channel, rocky bed, shallow riffles and runs, biofilm surfaces, riparian shade, bank stability and the freshwater to estuary connection.

Do not remove rocks, cobbles or boulders from retained habitat unless the approved aquatic method requires it and an authorised specialist has directed the action.

• Stop work for any confirmed or suspected Golden-red Stiphodon in the active work area until the fauna specialist has cleared the area or completed an authorised relocation.
• Stop work for fish stranding, loss of flow, blocked passage, dewatering failure, sediment release, chemical contamination or an unapproved change to the channel.
• Keep excavated sediment, spoil, logs and vegetation from entering the channel or covering biofilm surfaces downstream.
• If a rock or boulder must be moved, photograph and record its position, minimise disturbance and replace it as directed by the aquatic ecologist.
• Protect retained riparian vegetation and prevent stock, machinery and temporary structures from damaging banks.

After habitat disturbance: Completion checks

Leave the stream with the same or better aquatic function than before the work. Check the affected reach promptly, then monitor the habitat and fish response at a frequency set by the approval and risk assessment.

The aquatic ecologist or fauna spotter catcher should inspect the work area, upstream and downstream reaches before the site is demobilised.

Remove temporary barriers, spoil, waste, pipes, pumps and construction materials that could obstruct flow or fish movement, unless their retention is approved and they do not affect habitat.

• Confirm that the channel is connected, water is flowing, banks are stable and no fish are stranded in pools, trenches or dewatered areas.
• Check that cobbles, boulders, bedrock, shallow riffles and runs have not been buried, simplified or displaced unnecessarily.
• Inspect for sediment, concrete, hydrocarbons, rubbish and other contaminants in the wetted channel and downstream reach.
• Repair failed erosion and sediment controls before demobilisation and retain them until the site is stable.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Repeat the approved visual census in the affected reach and nearby retained habitat where the project risk assessment or approval requires post-work monitoring. Use the same reach boundaries, method and recording fields used before disturbance.

Compare fish detections, substrate, depth, flow, turbidity, bank condition and biofilm surfaces with the pre-work record. Do not infer population recovery from a single zero count because the species has a patchy distribution.

• Report confirmed deaths, injuries, captures, relocations, spills, fish passage failures, exceedances and stop-work events to the project environmental manager and regulator within the time required by the approval.
• Submit verified post-work records and photographs to the relevant Queensland wildlife or biodiversity database where required.
• Maintain daily environmental inspection records, survey data, photographs, water quality results, incident forms and corrective actions in the project file.
• Continue aquatic controls until monitoring shows that sediment, bank stability, flow and water quality controls are effective.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and corrective action

If authorised impacts cannot be avoided or minimised, obtain advice on any Queensland offset, restoration or compensatory action that applies to the approved impact. Do not treat an offset as permission to damage occupied habitat.

If monitoring identifies habitat loss, altered flow, sedimentation, contamination or a decline in detections, implement the approved corrective action and extend monitoring until the responsible authority accepts the outcome.

• Document the area and type of aquatic habitat affected, the duration of impact and the measures used to avoid and minimise it.
• Prioritise repair of the affected stream reach and maintenance of freshwater to estuary connectivity before considering off-site measures.
• Record the responsible person, completion date, evidence of success and any regulator acceptance for each corrective action.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore aquatic habitat and riparian cover

Rehabilitate the stream as habitat for a small, biofilm grazing cling goby, not only as a stable channel. The target condition is clear, oxygenated water, connected shallow rocky habitat and a functioning riparian zone in a short coastal stream.

Reinstate the natural channel form, shallow riffle and run sequences, pool margins and low flow areas affected by the work. Use locally appropriate bed material that matches the retained reach.

Replace displaced cobbles and boulders in patterns that provide stable grazing surfaces and retain natural flow variation. Do not smooth or line the bed unnecessarily.

Replant or allow natural regeneration of locally appropriate riparian vegetation to stabilise banks, provide shade and reduce sediment and nutrient entry. The supplied documents do not identify planting species for this goby habitat, so use the approved local Wet Tropics revegetation schedule.

Target water condition: Clear, well oxygenated water.

Target substrate: Bedrock, rocks, boulders and cobbles, with some sand where it matches the local reach.

Target food habitat: Algae and associated micro-organisms forming biofilm on submerged surfaces.

• Keep the restored bed connected to upstream habitat, downstream habitat and the sea.
• Prevent fine sediment from coating rocks and biofilm surfaces during establishment.
• Do not introduce aquatic plants or stock from other catchments as part of rehabilitation.
• Control weeds and exclude livestock or other animals that could damage banks, increase sediment or degrade the stream.

Rehabilitation actions: Maintain flow, passage and catchment controls

Remove temporary barriers and design permanent structures to preserve the shallow flow paths and fish passage used by amphidromous Stiphodon. Do not isolate the freshwater reach from the estuary.

Manage runoff, drainage, sediment, nutrients, toxicants, water extraction and altered flow so that rehabilitation does not create a clean-looking but unsuitable channel.

• Inspect crossings, culverts, rock works and diversion structures after rainfall and repair scour, blockage or sediment deposition.
• Maintain riparian fencing or exclusion controls where they protect banks and water quality without blocking fish passage.
• Manage weeds and prevent invasive fish or translocated native fish from entering the restored reach.
• Apply the approved fire regime and fire protection measures for the riparian zone, avoiding severe disturbance that removes bank cover or increases sediment delivery.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and monitoring

Set success measures around habitat function and fish use, not planting numbers alone. Monitor the restored reach against the pre-work baseline and an undisturbed reference reach where one is available.

Use the same snorkel visual census method for repeat surveys, including the same reach boundaries and comparable water conditions. Record fish detections, size classes, habitat position, depth, flow, substrate, turbidity and biofilm condition.

Known survey response to record: The species was observed grazing biofilms in shallow water, generally facing head first into the current.

Known distribution pattern: Stiphodon may aggregate in short stream reaches on a scale of a few hundred metres.

Australian survey reference: The study recorded 38 Golden-red Stiphodon at Pauls Pocket Creek, with all individuals less than 40 mm total length.

• Demonstrate stable banks, connected flow, no persistent sediment plume, no construction contamination and no new barrier to movement.
• Demonstrate retention or recovery of shallow cobble and boulder habitat and submerged surfaces suitable for biofilm growth.
• Investigate any persistent absence or decline in detections rather than assuming the species has moved elsewhere.
• Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval and report results, failures and corrective actions to the regulator and relevant Queensland wildlife database.

Sources

• Stiphodon rutilaureus - Seriously Fish, seriouslyfish.com: https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/stiphodon-rutilaureus
• [PDF] Discovery of stream-cling-goby assemblages (Stiphodon species) in ..., Queensland Government: https://era.dpi.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/6740/1/ZO10061.pdf
• [PDF] Threats, risk assessment and recovery action planning for rare and ..., Queensland Government: https://era.dpi.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/15230/1/Wet-Tropics-fish-risks-and-recovery-actions_QG_2025.pdf