Golden perch breaks through
A single adventurous golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) (species example pictured right) recently detected in the Macquarie Marshes has shown researchers what river discharge will allow fish movement through the Northern Macquarie Marshes. An area that is generally a barrier to upstream fish movement.
The native fish was tagged with an acoustic transmitter in August by Dr Jerom Stocks from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) and his team as part of the UNSW CES Flow-MER fish movement studies.
It is the first tagged fish to successfully traverse the Northern Marsh since NSW DPIRD tagging commenced within the Wambuul Macquarie River in April 2023.The golden perch was tagged approximately 70km downstream of the Macquarie Marshes at North Willewa Station on 21 August 2024 and then detected by a receiver in the Marshes at Pillicawarrina on 9 October 2024.
The movement coincides with a recent flow pulse that went through the Marsh of around 1,350 megalitres, the largest since tracking began. Continued monitoring will establish a more robust understanding of flow thresholds that facilitate movement and connectivity through the Northern Marshes.
Map of the fish movement studies showing the journey of the golden perch through the Northern Marshes indicated by the orange arrow.