Table Of ContentEdited by J.R. Hanley, G. Caswell, D. Megirian
and H.K. Larson
>
c
a4
2
>
ae
>
z
=
>
a
zm
SCIENCES ASSOC
The marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour,
Northern Territory, Australia
Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biological Workshop.
The marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour,
Northern Territory, Australia
Organised by the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory and
the Australian Marine Sciences Association
Edited by J. R. Hanley, G. Caswell, D. Megirian, and H. K Larson.
© Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 1997
ISBN 0 7245 29748
Printed by Publications Department, Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, 6000
Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biological Workshop.
The marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour,
Northern Territory, Australia
CONTENTS
PREERAGE re cress etree ccrrscest tien teessen tes scaspestarerecstie staat ett ettietraainet tact cathg eet teett eaP ere Ee eset vii
LIST} ORDPARILIGIBANICS srsrestesteetm ctteteters etttere.t esstets artecetteteefeetttttenenee recttoat rionsnr teeeea retnre atsv iii
IAGK NO WIEDGEMENICS renrtessttrrsettrstereertrtrtesstttazecaetintasteneetecatata steetten:ctteeeneemttearteerterierseretinttaets rete ore ix
HOOPER, J.N.A., COOK, S.D., HOBBS, L.J. AND KENNEDY, J.A. - Australian
Halichondriidae (Porifera: Demospongiae): I. Species from the Beagle Gulf. ........-.- essences 1
COATES, K.A. AND STACEY, D.F. - Enchytraeids (Oligochaeta: Annelida) of the lower shore
and shallow subtidal of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. ........ssseeseseeeeseseees 67
HEALY, B. AND COATES, K.A. - Enchytraeids (Oligochaeta: Annelida) of the mid and upper
intertidal of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. .......cccsecsssesesseessssessseeseseesseeeeseaeees 81
ERSEUS, C. - The marine Tubificidae (Oligochaeta) of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory,
Australia, with descriptions of fifteen NeW SPeCiCS. .......-secsecsescseesesseecsesstesnesseesseeneeneneenseneeeeteneees 99
HUTCHINGS, P. - The Terebellidae (Polychaeta) of Northern Australia with a key to all the
described species Of the regiOn.. .csssssecssesssecssesssesssssssssesssesssseeesecssneessstessnersensecsseconesenescetsteese s 133
JENSEN, K.R. - Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) from the Darwin Harbour area,
Northern Territory, Australia. ......csscsscseecsscsscsssneessssseesssscssssnessssesecsessscsnesnsesnscanecasenesssnncencensansesoess 163
JONDELIUS, U. - A new family and three new species of flatworms (Platyhelminthes) from
the Darwin Harbour area. ....s.sscessssssssscsessssesessssssscsesscneescsessenscnsneensaeensseensescscressssncacsasasseaesneneneaeenerees 187
KNUDSEN, J. - Observations on some intertidal marine prosobranch molluscs from Darwin
Harbour, Northern Territory. ....scsssscssssssessscssssscsecssessscssssssssssesssesssesssncsanennnenenecnnecnnccaecaceassnstcaass es 199
WELLS, F.E. - A review of the northern Australian species of the genera Cassidula and
Ellobium (Gastropoda: Ellobiidae). ....--ssssssssssssessssssessssseeessneceensecsssnececsnneccnnsssnnasecsensrscsnssesscenstens 213
BARTSCH, I. - Copidognathinae (Halacaridae, Acari) from northern Australia; descriptions of
FOUL MEW SPECIES. ...essssssssessecsseessccneensecsesssessscsssensecsscrsnscsnecenecsnsnnesanecasecsscssccassconscnisceasensscesseanensensetsges 231
KEABLE, S.J. - The Cirolanidae (Crustacea: Isopoda) of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory,
with additional records from northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. ........ssecssssseseeeeeees 245
EDGAR, G.J. - A new genus and three new species of apseudomorph Tanaidacean (Crustacea)
from the Darwin region. ......s.ssssesssssssessesssseeeesseseessenecnsssscncsnsaesnssacenecnssssenenananenesnncoscorsassaressessesenssease s 279
BRUCE, A.J. AND COOMBES, K.E. - An annotated check-list of the caridean shrimps
(Crustacea: Decapoda) of Darwin Harbour, with descriptions of three new species of
Periclimenes (Palaemonidae: Pontoniidae). ........ssscscscsesceeeeeeceesessseecesenssecssecaeaesesenenenesereneesceeenenes 301
LARSON, H.K. AND WILLIAMS, R.S. - Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated
CHECKIIS E45e .tescesystecessccepostbesseatesistecstaod tsaveessetser eivcert teetic eeesulttyataieetaitteoeaett ddteeasihstetcsisnsdseoeunestetr s mekey
WOLSTENHOLME, J., DINESEN, Z.D. AND ALDERSLADE, P. - Hard corals of the Darwin
TEPIONPNOMtHErM sLerritOry; AUStralla tesc cccascscoreserascsessstcsscestterssepretirestiecttases eteerereti netTi . 381
ESSLEMONT, G. - Heavy metals in scleractinian corals and marine sediments from Darwin
Harbour Australias t..s-..csoccaccccssscstetbgtecrtezc nreent teeisi eecsea ttei snideo inns tnteiT eeen cnteien eaeiTc te e3 99
CROWE, T.P. - Epibiosis and spatial distribution of molluscs on the pylons of Mandorah
Jetty, sDarwintHarbourpicccssessseysostscqovetivelovetivatsctiieciscesasesaatecoteaesttaittoieot teerttetteetircl et es
CROWE, T.P. - The distribution of Terebralia palustris with respect to microhabitat in
mangrove forests of Darwin Harbour I: Description of patterns. ........sscssssssssssesssesesesescsecsee ss
CROWE, T.P. AND MCMAHON, R.F. - The distribution of Terebralia palustris with respect
to microhabitat in mangrove forests of Darwin Harbour II: Experimental evaluation of
DENAVIOUT. eccccrasesecssscacesussatonnecerssucturseseecueageceassssoeateveeteccesteresTeoTtarTses tisateEtsest eliatt - 435
HISCOCK, P. - Archaeological evidence for environmental change in Darwin Harbour. ........ ... 445
YOUSSEF, T. - Approaches in mangrove planting: some options for Darwin mangroves. ....... ... 451
SMITH, A.N., HANLEY, J.R. AND LOVE, B. - Comparisons of different quadrat sizes for
measuring the densities of crabs and macromolluscs of the mangrove forest flOOF. «......0. . 461
PREFACE
Since its inception in 1982, the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Marine Sciences
Association (AMSA) has been active in promoting marine environmental issues in Northern
Australia. In 1984 the Northern Territory Branch of AMSA, in conjunction with the North Australia
Research Unit (NARU) of the Australian National University, jointly hosted a Conference on Coasts
and Tidal Wetlands of the Australian Monsoon Region together with a Workshop on Coastal
Management in Northern Australia. This was followed in 1987 by a Workshop on Research and
Management in Darwin Harbour. The proceedings of the conference and workshops were published
by NARU in their Mangrove Monograph series (No. | and No. 2, 1985; No. 4, 1988).
Much of the work of marine scientists in the region has focussed on Darwin Harbour, an area that
is significant not only because it is the main population centre for the Northern Territory and an
important recreational and commercial resource, but also because of its unique natural features
which include one of the largest single stands of mangroves in Australia.
Darwin Harbour or Port Darwin is a large shallow drowned river valley system. Encompassing
an area of about 1,000 square km, the Harbour is characterised by a macrotidal regime (7m spring
tidal range) and an extensive shallow intertidal zone dominated by mangrove communities which
extend over about 20,000 hectares in area. Subject to a strong monsoonal weather pattern, the
Harbour waters are generally warm (23 to 33°C) and turbid, with heavy rainfall during the wet season
(November to April) and river runoff contributing to high nutrient and sediment loads. These
physical factors have a profound affect on the biota and Darwin Harbour supports a remarkably high
diversity and biomass of filter-feeding benthic invertebrate assemblages.
The city of Darwin lies on the north-eastern side of the Harbour. Darwin has a residential
population of approximately 73,000 people. Urbanisation has developed largely around the harbour
peninsula, and more recently out to the regional centre of Palmerston. Although Darwin is a capital
city, it does not yet have any heavy industry and most of the environmental impacts have been
concentrated near the city and East Arm of the Harbour. The major impacts have been from clearing
of mangroves and infilling of intertidal land, although these are insignificant compared with
southern States.
While much of Darwin Harbour can be considered pristine, increased population growth,
urbanisation of the shoreline and industrial development pose potential threats to the Harbour. For
this reason there has been strong interest in recent years in studies aimed at providing baseline
information for the future management of this large natural resource.
In July 1993 the Northern Territory Branch of AMSA, together with the Museum and Art Gallery
of the Northern Territory, organised an International Workshop on the Marine Biology of Darwin
Harbour. This Workshop, the sixth in a series of International Marine Biological Workshops,
brought together more than 30 participants from the Northern Territory, Western Australia,
Tasmania, New South Wales, Canada, Indonesia, the United States, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark
for 19 days of intensive study of the marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour. The present
proceedings reports on the scientific work done at the Darwin Harbour Workshop, and includes 22
research papers. These cover the taxonomy and systematics, ecology, behaviour, and physiology and
functional morphology of the marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour.
Dr Barry C. Russell
President, Northern Territory Branch
Australian Marine Sciences Association
Vii
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Mr Lito Aralar, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Mr Zainal Arifin, Puslitbang Oseanology - LIPI, Ambon, Indonesia
Ms Lisa Banks, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Mr Paul Buck, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Ms Gabi Caswell, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Dr Kathryn A. Coates, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario, Canada
Mr Neville Coleman, Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd, Springwood, NSW, Australia
Mr Tasman P. Crowe, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Mr Graham A. Edgar, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
Professor Christer Erséus, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
Mr Graeme Esslemont, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
Mr Laurie Ferns, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Ms Sylvia Francis, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Ms Ruth Garden, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Dr J. Russell Hanley, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Mr Agus Hatta, Puslitbang Oseanology - LIPI, Ambon, Indonesia
Dr Brenda Healy, University College, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Dr Pat Hutchings, The Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Dr Kathe R. Jensen, Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mr Christopher Johnson, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Mr Ulf Jondelius, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
Mr Chris Jones, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Dr Stephen J. Keable, The Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ms Lisa Knight, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Dr Jorgen Knudsen, Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Ms Katerina Koulakis, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Ms Barbara Love, Casuarina, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Ms Collette McMahon, University of Texas, Arlington, USA
Professor Robert McMahon, University of Texas, Arlington, USA
Dr Neils Munksgaard, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT, Australia
Dr David Parry, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT, Australia
Ms Jenni Risler, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Ms Helen Prichard, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Mr Adam N. Smith, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
Mr Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch, London, United Kingdom
Ms Charlene Stevens, Darwin, NT, Australia (Volunteer)
Dr Janice Warren, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Dr Fred E. Wells, Western Australian Museum, Perth, WA, Australia
Mr Rex Williams, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
Ms Jackie Wolstenholme, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Mr Tarek Youssef, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
Vili
