Murray Cod Australian fauna aquatic life endemic fish

Murray Cod

Location

-Murray darling river system

-Mary river Queensland

-Clarence and Richmond rivers N.S.W

-Freshwater dams and fish tanks

Habitat

- Freshwater

- Prefer deep holes

- Fallen trees and stumps

- Clay banks

- Overhanging vegetation

- Small clear rocky streams to large slow flowing rivers

Diet

• Eat anything that it can fit in its mouth• Yabbies• Shrimp• Spiny freshwater Cray fish• Freshwater mussels• Carp• Goldfish• Red fin• Eel tailed catfish• Australian smelt• Ducks• Freshwater tortes• Water dragons• Snakes and mice and frogs

Life Cycle

• Birth- lay eggs, from 10,000 for a small female to 90,000 for a large female around the 22kg mark.

• Growth-will reach 60cm, 3-4kg in small streams. And will reach up to 1.8m long and 113kg in weight.

Maturity

• Spawn in September to

• October

• Spawn every year once

• that reach maturity

• Start Spawn as soon as

• 4 years of age when around

• 55cm long                                                           

Causes of death

• Old age• Humans catching

them• Bad water quality

(pollution)• Bigger fish• Big birds and

Crocodiles.

Human impacts

-Catching them, for food and fun

-Introducing other fish carp

-Destroying their environment with boats

-Catch the breeders

-Removing them from natural environment

-Salt in the water

-Pesticides

-Fertilizers

Physical Adoptions

-Live in fresh water

-big tail, to swim fast away from predators like crocks.

-big mouth, for eating anything that will fit inside it.

-dark colored skin, to

camouflage in with the

environment.

Why conserve this animal

• It is endemic to Australia

• It is a rare and hard to catch fish

• Great pets to watch

• They are reducing in numbers

How this living thing can be conserved

• Not fishing for them in breeding season• Using braless hooks and non stainless

steel• Avoid removing fish from water• Release all big fish so • they• can breed• Breed them in dams

By Aaron Scott