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Redfin Blue Eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis)

The redfin blue-eye is a tiny freshwater fish found only in very shallow Great Artesian Basin springs at Edgbaston Reserve in central western Queensland. It is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and Queensland legislation. On development sites, the main risks are changes to groundwater flow, damage to spring pools and vegetation, water-quality decline, and the spread of eastern gambusia.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Endangered.

Breeding season

Breeding can occur in every month, but eggs and juveniles are more common during warmer months. Juveniles shift towards shallow areas away from the vent in warmer months and towards the more stable water near the vent in cooler months.

Month values are indicative: 0 means not typical, 1 means occurs, and 2 means peak or higher likelihood. Exact seasonal timing varies with spring temperature and flow.

  • Breeding: Courtship and spawning have been observed in all months. Egg production and spawning activity are more common during warmer months.
  • Young: Fry and juveniles occur throughout the year but are more common in warmer months. Juveniles use shallower water than adults.
  • Seasonal habitat shift: In warmer months, juveniles congregate in shallow areas away from the spring source. In cooler months, they are usually closer to the spring vent.
  • Highest clearing risk: Disturbance can affect eggs, fry and juveniles in all months, with the greatest risk during warmer months when young fish are more common and occupy very shallow water. Spring flow and pool habitat should be protected year round.

Identification

The redfin blue-eye is a very small schooling fish of shallow artesian springs. Identification requires close observation because small eastern gambusia may occur in the same springs.

Adults grow to about 30 mm total length. The body is golden to silver, with a translucent rear half and iridescent spangles along the mid-side.

Both sexes have a brilliant sky-blue ring around the eye. Males have vermilion outer margins on most fins and horizontal red bars on the dorsal and ventral parts of the caudal fin. Females generally lack the red fin markings.

The species is the only species in its genus and the only genus in the subfamily Scaturiginichthyinae.

Identification: Features for field separation

The redfin blue-eye has a narrow, rounded caudal fin, relatively high pectoral-fin insertion and frequent absence of ventral fins.

Small eastern gambusia, also called mosquitofish, can be confused with redfin blue-eyes during visual counts. Confirm the blue eye-ring, body pattern, caudal-fin shape and male red fin markings before recording the species.

  • Use an experienced freshwater fish observer for visual surveys.
  • Avoid relying on colour alone when fish are very small, disturbed or viewed through vegetation.
  • Record eastern gambusia separately wherever it is present.

Identification: Field signs and behaviour

There are no reported tracks, scats, calls, nests, burrows, sloughs or eyeshine signs for this species.

When approached, redfin blue-eyes form loose schools that may contain several hundred fish in healthy populations. The school breaks into smaller groups when undisturbed and the fish then feed and display.

Adults generally occupy water deeper than approximately 10 to 15 mm in the recovery-plan account, while monitoring guidance records adults most often at 1 to 4 cm and juveniles mainly at 0.5 to 1 cm.

  • Watch from the edge of the spring pool and minimise approach speed and time in the water.
  • Do not treat a temporary absence from open water as proof of absence, because disturbed schools disperse and vegetation can conceal fish.

Distribution: National range

The redfin blue-eye has an extremely restricted natural range. No natural populations are documented outside the Edgbaston spring complex in Queensland.

The species is endemic to Queensland and is restricted to the natural springs of Edgbaston Reserve, north of Aramac, in central western Queensland.

Edgbaston Springs is in upper Aramac Creek, within the Cooper Creek and Lake Eyre drainage basin. The springs are part of the Barcaldine supergroup of Great Artesian Basin discharge springs.

State range: Queensland only

Bioregional drainage context: Upper Aramac Creek, Cooper Creek and Lake Eyre drainage basin

Spring complex: Edgbaston Reserve, Barcaldine supergroup

Distribution: Stronghold and population trend

The species was originally recorded from eight separate springs. Five populations had been lost by 2006, although two spring wetlands were subsequently recolonised.

Recent monitoring guidance states that the total area of springs supporting the species is less than 0.5 hectares. A captive-bred population on Edgbaston Reserve numbered 250 to 500 fish and continued to breed at the time of the 2024 monitoring overview. This figure should not be treated as the size of the wild population.

Active springs in the complex: 51, scattered across approximately 50 km2

Natural springs recorded historically: 8

Estimated population in the 2007 recovery study: Less than 3,000 individuals

Current area of occupied springs: Less than 0.5 hectares

Captive-bred population reported in 2024: 250 to 500 fish on Edgbaston Reserve

  • Treat any spring within the Edgbaston complex as potentially important habitat, including springs where the species has not been detected recently.
  • Check current records with Queensland authorities and the land manager before works, because occupied springs can change over time, particularly after eastern gambusia invasion.

Habitat: Spring pools and water conditions

Redfin blue-eyes depend on small, shallow spring pools fed by Great Artesian Basin groundwater. The habitat is open and sunlit, with clear warm water, aquatic vegetation and a soft or algal substrate.

The species occurs in natural artesian springs ranging from a few square metres to approximately one hectare, although the combined area of occupied springs is very small.

Pools are generally very shallow, with a maximum depth of about 8 cm. Water was recorded at 26 °C in clear clay-bottomed springs when the species was first described, and later observations recorded 23 to 25 °C before darkness in April and 36 °C in November.

The species usually occurs in water warmer than 16 °C. Spring flow, water level, temperature and water clarity are key habitat attributes.

  • Protect the spring vent, pool margins and the shallow water zone from excavation, filling, vehicle access and sediment entry.
  • Maintain the groundwater discharge that supplies the pool and avoid activities that alter artesian pressure or flow.

Habitat: Vegetation and substrate

The spring substrate may be covered by globular algae forming a loose layer up to 40 mm thick. Original descriptions also noted grass tussocks and a small red-leaved plant in the spring pools.

The fish uses submerged vegetation and open water between vegetation clumps. Emergent vegetation is part of the shallow artesian spring habitat used by Queensland artesian spring fishes.

  • Keep livestock, machinery and construction materials out of spring vegetation and the algal substrate.
  • Prevent turbidity and contaminated runoff from entering occupied or potentially occupied pools.

Foraging habitat: Feeding behaviour

The diet has not been studied in detail. Observations indicate that redfin blue-eyes feed within the shallow spring pool, including at or near the substrate.

Fish have been observed taking a mouthful of substrate, expelling material from the mouth and picking particles from the resulting cloud. They also pick particles directly from the substrate.

When undisturbed, schools disperse into smaller groups that begin feeding and displaying. No particular food plant, prey taxon or foraging-range measurement has been reported.

Known diet: Not studied in detail; observed feeding involves particles from substrate

Foraging area: Within the shallow spring pool, including open water between vegetation clumps and the substrate

  • Preserve clear water, natural substrate and submerged vegetation because these features support observed feeding behaviour.
  • Avoid stirring sediment or walking through occupied pools during surveys and works.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Redfin blue-eyes can breed throughout the year, with eggs, fry and courtship recorded in all months. Warmer months produce more eggs and juveniles, and shallow vegetation or substrate is needed for egg attachment.

Males do not defend fixed territories, but defend small personal spaces associated with open water and surrounding vegetation clumps. Courtship involves the male swimming around the female with outspread fins, followed by side-by-side alignment and a shimmying display.

Eggs may be released onto the substrate or submerged vegetation. The eggs are opaque, approximately 1.5 mm in diameter, and have filaments that attach to vegetation or substrate.

Newly hatched fry and juveniles use shallower water than adults. In warmer months, juveniles congregate in shallow areas away from the spring source. In cooler months, they are usually closer to the vent, where the water has a more constant temperature.

Breeding season: Courtship, egg laying and hatching have been observed in all months; eggs and fry are more common in warmer months

Egg production: Females can breed more or less continuously from 4 to 15 months of age and may lay 1 to 3 eggs per day, with a maximum of 7 eggs per day recorded in captivity

Egg size: About 1.5 mm diameter

Incubation: Fry hatch after 1 to 2 weeks in captivity

Age at maturity: Females can breed from about 4 months of age in captivity

Lifespan: Average captive lifespan is less than 18 months; maximum recorded captive survival is about 30 months

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding requires shallow spring water, submerged vegetation or suitable substrate for egg attachment, and stable spring flow and temperature.

The close association of eggs and fry with shallow water means that small reductions in pool area or water level can remove breeding habitat. Eastern gambusia may nip adults and may prey on eggs or fry.

  • Do not clear, excavate or trample submerged and emergent vegetation in or beside occupied springs.
  • Keep eastern gambusia, contaminated water, sediment and stock away from breeding pools.
  • Schedule any unavoidable work outside occupied spring habitat and obtain species-specific advice before disturbing a spring.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and depth

This fish has no known den, burrow, nest or hollow. Shelter is provided by shallow water, vegetation clumps, the spring vent and the schooling response of the fish.

Adults use water generally between 1 and 4 cm deep, while juveniles mainly use water between 0.5 and 1 cm deep. Adults have also been recorded in water deeper than approximately 10 to 15 mm, and may occur in less than 1 cm when summer evaporation reduces available habitat.

Open water areas are often bordered by clumps of submerged vegetation. Males use these small open areas as temporary personal spaces, and schools can disperse among the vegetation when disturbed.

Adult water depth: Usually 1 to 4 cm

Juvenile water depth: Mainly 0.5 to 1 cm

Maximum pool depth reported: About 8 cm

Algal cover: Loose globular algae layer up to 40 mm thick

  • Retain the full shallow pool, including the edges, vegetation clumps, algal layer and spring vent.
  • Do not use the presence of deeper water alone to define habitat, because juveniles and adults use very shallow margins.

Sheltering habitat: Seasonal refuge

During cooler months, juveniles are usually found closer to the spring vent, where water temperature is more constant and may be warmer than the surrounding water. During warmer months, juveniles move into shallow areas away from the source.

  • Protect the vent and the shallow downstream pool as one connected habitat unit.
  • Do not block, divert or concentrate spring flow during works.

Threats: Introduced fish

The species has a very small range and depends on a small number of shallow spring pools. A local disturbance can affect an entire subpopulation or remove a spring from use.

Eastern gambusia, or mosquitofish, is the primary identified threat. It has been associated with local extirpation of redfin blue-eye populations, tail-fin nipping, and possible predation on eggs or fry.

Gambusia was present in four of the five springs where populations had been lost in the 2007 assessment. Redfin blue-eyes and gambusia can remain spatially separated while pools are large, but seasonal reductions in pool size and changes in water temperature can force them together.

  • Do not move water, fish, equipment or wet materials between spring pools without a species-specific biosecurity procedure.
  • Record and report eastern gambusia immediately during surveys or works.
  • Do not release bait, aquarium fish or water into artesian springs.

Threats: Hydrology and habitat damage

Great Artesian Basin bores have reduced aquifer pressure, standing water levels and spring flows. The recovery plan reports that aquifer pressure decline has caused many discharge springs to become inactive.

Spring excavation can directly destroy redfin blue-eye habitat. Changes in spring flow contributed to failed translocation attempts, showing the sensitivity of the species to hydrological conditions.

Cattle, sheep, feral goats and pigs can trample vegetation, increase turbidity, reduce water quality and alter flow patterns.

  • Keep bores, drainage works and groundwater extraction from reducing flow to occupied or potentially occupied springs.
  • Fence springs or provide alternative stock water where stock access threatens water quality or vegetation.
  • Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, chemicals and dirty water from entering spring pools.

Threats: Project and survey risks

Because the known natural distribution is confined to a single spring complex and occupied spring area is less than 0.5 hectares, clearing, earthworks, access tracks, drainage changes or construction near a spring can affect a substantial proportion of available habitat.

Fire, fragmentation and road impacts are not identified as separate documented threats in the supplied sources. They may still cause harm if they alter spring vegetation, introduce sediment, increase access by stock or feral animals, or change groundwater or surface-water behaviour.

  • Map all springs, vents, shallow pool margins, drainage paths and access routes before planning works.
  • Use direct observation by experienced fish personnel and consider eDNA where appropriate, noting that disturbed schools and vegetation can make abundance estimates difficult.
  • Avoid entering the water unless an approved survey method requires it, and keep survey equipment dedicated to each spring or disinfected under an approved aquatic biosecurity procedure.
  • Treat an unoccupied spring as potential habitat where recent records, historical records or suitable conditions are present.

Survey methodology: 1. Direct visual census

The Redfin Blue-eye is restricted to very shallow artesian springs at Edgbaston Reserve in central western Queensland. Surveys must focus on clear spring pools and connected wetland habitat, use experienced fish observers, and avoid altering the spring or its vegetation.

Use direct observation as the primary presence and relative-abundance method because the springs are clear, shallow and have high visibility.

Survey all suitable spring habitat, including open water, submerged vegetation, the spring vent and shallow margins. Adults usually occupy water 1 to 4 cm deep, while juveniles mainly occur at 0.5 to 1 cm.

Use an experienced observer who can distinguish Redfin Blue-eye from small Eastern Gambusia. The species is small, schooling and can reach about 30 mm total length.

Record the area searched, water depth, water temperature, water clarity, vegetation cover, fish counts, life stages and the presence and abundance of Eastern Gambusia.

Typical spring water depth: Less than 8 cm, with artesian spring habitat generally less than 10 cm deep

Adult depth: Usually 1 to 4 cm

Juvenile depth: Mainly 0.5 to 1 cm

Fish size: Up to about 30 mm total length

  • Approach slowly and observe before entering the water, because schools break up when disturbed and this can reduce the reliability of counts.
  • Keep observation periods and search areas consistent between surveys so that relative abundance can be compared over time.
  • Survey during dry periods where access is safer and less likely to damage the spring margins; the best time of day is not established for this species.

Survey methodology: 2. eDNA or eRNA sampling

Use eDNA or eRNA sampling as a supplementary method for detecting presence, especially where direct observation is inconclusive or access must be limited.

Design sampling with a suitably qualified aquatic ecologist and follow the laboratory's contamination controls, sample volumes, replication and chain-of-custody requirements.

Collect location data for each sample and record water depth, flow, temperature, turbidity, vegetation and the presence of Eastern Gambusia.

  • Prevent cross-contamination between springs by using clean equipment for each sample and changing gloves between sampling locations.
  • Treat a negative molecular result as requiring interpretation with the sampling conditions and direct observations, rather than as proof that the species is absent.

Survey methodology: 3. Shallow-water remote video

A small-sized GoPro on a baited or unbaited remote underwater stereo-video system may be trialled in very shallow water, generally less than 40 mm deep.

Use this method only where the equipment can be deployed without trampling spring vegetation, disturbing the substrate or changing water flow.

Record deployment location, duration, water depth, visibility and the area represented by the camera view.

Potential deployment depth: Generally less than 40 mm

Method limitation: Equipment requiring water more than 8 cm deep is unsuitable

  • Do not use equipment that requires water deeper than 8 cm.
  • Have an experienced fish ecologist review footage because small fish, vegetation cover and schooling behaviour can make identification and abundance estimates difficult.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Survey every spring, pool or wetland area that may be affected directly or indirectly by the project, including areas affected by changed groundwater flow, dewatering, sediment or access.
  • Use two to four people where needed, including an experienced fish observer, and allow hours per artesian spring; a whole-of-reserve survey may take about one week.
  • Repeat surveys when one visit cannot establish presence or absence, particularly where water levels, spring occupancy or access conditions change.
  • Do not enter or sample a spring until landholder access, relevant permits and the project fauna management plan are in place.
  • Record survey dates, observers, methods, effort, weather, water depth, water quality, habitat condition, fish detections, non-detections and photographs or video.
  • Submit confirmed records, including precise coordinates and supporting evidence, to the relevant Queensland wildlife database and provide records to the project approval authority or regulator as required.
  • Report any Eastern Gambusia detection immediately to the project ecologist and land manager because occupied springs can change when mosquito fish invade.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat any Edgbaston spring or connected Great Artesian Basin discharge habitat as potential Redfin Blue-eye habitat until an appropriately qualified person has assessed it. The species has an extremely small range, and disturbance to spring flow, water quality or shallow vegetation can affect habitat directly.

Redesign the project to avoid natural artesian springs, spring vents, shallow pools, wetland vegetation and the surface flow paths that maintain them.

Retain the entire spring wetland where practicable, not just the area occupied by fish at the time of survey. Four out of five remaining subpopulations reported in the 2006 assessment were in springs free from Eastern Gambusia, so preventing invasion is a priority.

Prevent changes to groundwater pressure, spring flow, water level, temperature, water quality and sediment movement. Do not excavate springs to increase water storage.

  • Keep cattle, feral pigs, goats, vehicles and machinery away from spring pools and margins by using suitable exclusion controls.
  • Do not move water, soil, plants, fish, equipment or sediment between springs unless the movement has been assessed and approved under the fauna management plan.
  • Retain or restore shallow submerged and emergent vegetation and the natural substrate used by eggs and fry.
  • Maintain hydrological connections between retained spring habitat where those connections are part of the natural spring system, while preventing pathways for Eastern Gambusia.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Before works begin, assess whether the action may have a significant impact on this EPBC Act Endangered species and obtain an EPBC Act referral or approval where required.

Confirm Queensland threatened species, fisheries, water, vegetation, protected area, animal welfare and land access requirements before entering or disturbing spring habitat.

Prepare a species-specific fauna management plan that identifies no-go areas, survey methods, hygiene controls, dewatering controls, stop-work triggers, authorised handlers, response contacts and reporting requirements.

National status: EPBC Act Endangered

Queensland status: Endangered

  • Stage works so that access, earthworks, pumping, vehicle movements and sediment-producing activities remain outside retained spring habitat.
  • Schedule surveys and works during dry conditions where practicable because wet conditions can make access difficult and increase the risk of damage to spring margins.
  • Use an experienced aquatic ecologist and fauna spotter catcher familiar with Queensland artesian spring fishes.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance aquatic survey before vegetation removal, earthworks, dewatering, drilling, access construction or changes to drainage.

Mark spring vents, pools, shallow wetland margins, retained vegetation, exclusion zones and machinery access routes on site plans and on the ground.

Install exclusion fencing or other physical controls where they can prevent stock, people, vehicles and machinery entering the habitat without diverting natural spring flow.

  • Brief all workers and operators before each work stage on the species' appearance, its shallow spring habitat, hygiene requirements and the stop-work procedure.
  • Provide clean equipment for each spring and establish washdown and disinfection points away from surface water.
  • Locate spoil, fuels, concrete washout, chemicals, sediment controls and refuelling areas outside spring catchments and flow paths.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

The fauna spotter catcher must control access to the spring habitat, watch for changes in water and fish activity, and have authority to stop work. Machinery must not enter a spring pool or alter its flow unless the approved method specifically allows it.

Inspect exclusion fencing, sediment controls, drainage controls, pumps, access routes and no-go markers before work starts each day and after rain or equipment failure.

Keep machinery, people, fuels, spoil and contaminated water outside retained springs and their flow paths.

Use a spotter catcher to direct plant operators at the edge of exclusion zones and during any activity that could cause vibration, turbidity, runoff, dewatering or flow changes.

Stop work and notify the site ecologist if water level, flow, temperature, clarity or spring vegetation changes unexpectedly.

  • Use clean footwear, nets, buckets, pumps, hoses and other aquatic equipment for each spring, or clean and disinfect equipment before it enters another spring.
  • Do not pump, drain, fill, divert, dam or refill a spring pool without approval under the fauna management plan.
  • Prevent sediment, concrete, hydrocarbons, chemicals, wastewater and washdown water from entering the spring.

During habitat disturbance: If Redfin Blue-eye is found

Stop the activity that may affect the fish or its habitat and keep people and machinery out of the water.

The fauna spotter catcher must not capture, handle or relocate fish unless authorised under the relevant permit, approval and fauna management plan.

If relocation is approved, use a qualified aquatic ecologist to move fish only to suitable nearby retained habitat identified before works, and keep handling time and exposure to air to a minimum.

If an injured fish is found, place it in clean spring water only under the direction of an authorised handler and contact the nominated wildlife veterinarian, wildlife carer or Queensland authority immediately.

  • Do not move Redfin Blue-eye, Eastern Gambusia, water, plants, sediment or equipment between springs without specific approval and biosecurity controls.
  • Do not release captured fish into an unassessed spring, bore drain or other water body.
  • Record the location, date, time, number and life stages observed, condition of fish, action taken, habitat condition and names of all authorised personnel.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat and stop-work triggers

Treat the spring pool, spring vent, shallow margins, submerged vegetation and natural substrate as aquatic habitat, not as ordinary ground or vegetation to be cleared.

For this species, hollow trees, logs and rocks are not the relevant habitat features. The priority features are very shallow clear water, spring flow, aquatic vegetation and the substrate where eggs may attach.

  • Stop work immediately if Redfin Blue-eye is detected in the work area, if fish are stranded, or if eggs or fry are observed in an area that may be disturbed.
  • Stop work if Eastern Gambusia is detected in a retained or affected spring and notify the project ecologist and land manager.
  • Stop work if dewatering, drilling, excavation, compaction, sediment or runoff changes spring flow, water level, water temperature, turbidity or aquatic vegetation.
  • Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, machinery enters the no-go area, or a spill or wastewater discharge reaches the spring.
  • Keep the area isolated until the fauna spotter catcher, aquatic ecologist and approval holder confirm the control measures and any required permit action.

After habitat disturbance: Post-work inspection and monitoring

Completion of works does not end the risk. Check that spring flow, water quality, shallow habitat and exclusion controls have returned to the approved condition, and continue monitoring where the project could affect groundwater or spring habitat.

Complete a post-clearance inspection of every affected and retained spring, including the vent, shallow margins, vegetation, substrate, access routes and sediment controls.

Repeat direct visual surveys using the same search areas and recording methods used before works so fish detections and relative abundance can be compared.

Monitor water level, spring flow, water temperature, clarity, vegetation condition and Eastern Gambusia presence at the frequency specified in the approval or fauna management plan.

  • Check for stranded fish, damaged vegetation, sediment deposition, altered flow paths, bank trampling, spills and unauthorised access.
  • Use eDNA or eRNA as a supplementary check where direct observation is inconclusive or where access needs to be limited.
  • Continue monitoring occupied springs and any translocated or recolonised populations because spring occupancy can change over time.

After habitat disturbance: Close-out and reporting

Maintain exclusion fencing, hygiene controls, sediment controls and no-go markers until the site ecologist confirms that the risk of impact has ended.

Provide the approval holder and relevant Queensland authority with survey data, incidental records, photographs, water and habitat measurements, incidents, corrective actions and monitoring results.

Report any confirmed mortality, injury, habitat damage, unauthorised fish movement, Eastern Gambusia detection or failure of spring flow controls through the approval incident process.

  • Submit confirmed species records and negative survey results with survey effort to the relevant Queensland wildlife database.
  • Retain field sheets, GPS tracks, photographs, video, laboratory results, chain-of-custody records and fauna handling records with the project environmental records.
  • Apply approved offsets or other compensatory measures if residual impacts remain after avoidance, mitigation and rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore spring habitat

Rehabilitation must restore spring function rather than simply revegetate disturbed ground. The target condition is a clear, shallow, flowing spring wetland with suitable vegetation and substrate, protected from Gambusia, stock and feral animals.

Reinstate natural spring flow paths, shallow pools, water levels and substrates using an aquatic ecologist and the approved design.

Do not deepen pools beyond the natural condition. The species uses water generally less than 8 cm deep, and adults and juveniles occupy especially shallow water.

Re-establish native aquatic and emergent vegetation that provides cover and surfaces for egg attachment, using locally appropriate material approved for the spring complex.

Remove temporary infrastructure, spoil and sediment from the spring and its flow path without causing further disturbance or spreading organisms between springs.

  • Do not plant non-native aquatic species or move plants, substrate or water from another spring.
  • Fence rehabilitated springs where needed to exclude cattle, sheep, feral pigs and goats, and provide alternative stock water away from the habitat.
  • Control weeds and feral animals without allowing herbicide, bait, sediment or carcasses to enter the spring.
  • Do not introduce Redfin Blue-eye to a rehabilitated spring unless a separate approved translocation program has assessed the site and obtained the required authority.

Rehabilitation actions: Protect and measure recovery

Set success measures in the rehabilitation plan for spring flow, water depth, water temperature, clarity, aquatic vegetation, substrate condition, absence or control of Eastern Gambusia, and Redfin Blue-eye presence and relative abundance.

Monitor rehabilitated habitat annually or at the interval required by the approval, using consistent direct visual census methods and supplementary eDNA or eRNA where appropriate.

Compare results with pre-work records and reference springs within the Edgbaston complex where access and approvals allow.

Known natural spring complex: Edgbaston Springs, central western Queensland

Known occupied spring habitat in the 2024 overview: Less than 0.5 hectares in total

Captive-bred population reported in 2024: 250 to 500 fish on Edgbaston Reserve

  • Treat recolonisation by Eastern Gambusia, declining spring flow, persistent turbidity, loss of aquatic vegetation, fish mortality or failure to detect Redfin Blue-eye as triggers for review and corrective action.
  • Keep aquatic equipment dedicated to one spring or clean and disinfect it before use elsewhere.
  • Maintain predator, stock, weed, erosion and access controls for as long as monitoring shows that they are needed.
  • Report rehabilitation outcomes, monitoring data and any proposed change to the relevant approval authority and Queensland wildlife database.

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