This study investigated the causes of high level of intra-and inter-population variation known to occur in the morphology of fish in the genus Hypseleotris Eleotride in southern Australia, particularly within the Murray-Darling river system. The three major objectives of the study were, identify the number and distribution of species,determine the genetic structure of the populations and analyse relationships between species and consider the process of speciation in this species complex. The investigation of morphological variation in Hypseleotris confirmed the presence of two well known species i.e. H. compressa and H. galli, in the coastal rivers and also of the inland species H. klunzingeri. Populations of Hypseleotris klunzigeri sensu lato in inland river were found to be very highly variable and analysis using discriminant functions and principle component analysis showed the widespread presence of three forms (A, B1 and B2). The analysis was confused by the presence of north/south clines and upstream/downstream variation in characteristic in each form. After these factors were removed, there was still a great deal of variation in each population. The presence of hybrids between each pair of inland species, identified by both morphological and genetic data, further confused the analysis and makes identification of all specimens to species in the field difficult. Examination of type material of H. Klunzingeri showed that this belonged to form B2. The other forms can be related to the undescribed species, Midgley's carp gudgeon and Lake's carp gudgeon. Keys to the species in the complex in southeastern Australia are given. The morphological and genetic data show that H. compressa and H. klunzingeri are sister species, primarily separated by the eastern uplands. Similarly, the coastal species, H. galli is related to form B1 and more distantly, to form A. Possible scenarios for the complex are given. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Small cyprinid fish, the topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva Schlegel, 1842) is considered as an undesirable fish species because it represents an important food competitor for commercial non-predatory fishes. This study was performed under pond conditions (four ponds in South Moravia and two ponds in South Bohemia) during the growing seasons in 2006 {--} 2007. The purpose of my work was to determinate the level of food competition between topmouth gudgeon and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a dominating pond fish species. Food selectivity was evaluated using Ivlev´s electivity index (Jacobs, 1974). The level of food competition between common carp and topmouth gudgeon was used to evaluate the index of food similarity according to Shorygin (1952). The diet of topmouth gudgeon consisted mainly of chironomid larvae and zooplankton, mostly cladocerans (Daphnia, Bosmina), detritus and periphyton (Oscillatoria, Scenedesmus, Sphaerotilus). Macrophytes, copepods and Brachionus were also ingested by P.parva but in comparatively low proportions. In contrast, carp diet consisted mainly of bottom items including chironomid larvae, macrophytes and organic debris, mainly detritus and periphyton. The food items of lesser importance were dragon fly (Anisoptera) larvae, cladocerans (Bosmina, Daphnia) and ostracods. Topmouth gudgeon competed with common carp for chironomid larvae, periphyton and detritus, for zooplankton (mainly cladocerans Daphnia, Bosmina). The highest valuation the food competition was registered in fish from the Vracovický pond (South Moravia) and the Podsedek pond (South Bohemia), when it amounted from 24.02 to 34.78 % food similarity.

This study aimed to evaluate otter predation on stocked trout and grayling. The diet composition of piscivorous Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) was studied on the stream Chotýšanka in central Bohemia using spraint (otter faeces) analysis during one winter period (90 days). Stocking took place mostly in the second half of 2005. Around 5000 hatchery-reared brown trouts (Salmo trutta m. fario) of size about 10 cm, 600 graylings (Thymallus thymallus) of the same size and 480 rainbow trouts (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of size about 30 cm were stocked into the stream. Spraints were collected in December 2005 and January 2006. We found and identified 1531 fish in the spraints. The primary food source of otters was fish (almost 85 % of biomass). The main fish prey was small - sized, below 20 g in weight and 13 cm in length. The bulk of otter's diet consisted of less - valued species, especially the gudgeon (Gobio gobio). Other frequently consumed fish species were the European chub (Squalius cephalus), the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), the European perch (Perca fluviatilis), the brown trout and the rainbow trout. Consumption of stocked brown trout was 1,80 %, while cosumption of stocked rainbow trout was 10,90 % of biomass. Otters in this area consumed about 723 - 1446 brown trouts and 72 - 144 rainbow trouts...

Six rivers within the upper Mumbidgee catchment were sampled for larval and juvenile fish. The rivers represented both regulated and unregulated flow regimes and varied widely in size. There was wide variation in the larval fish communities supported by each river, both in terms of the species diversity and total abundance of fish sampled. The highly regulated reach of the Mumbidgee River sampled during this study had the highest numbers of native species and native individuals of any river sampled. In the two rivers selected for further study, the Murmmbidgee and Goodradigbee, there was a high level of inter-annual consistency in the species composition within the reaches sampled, despite considerable change in the temperature and flow regimes of both rivers. This indicates that at least some spawning of those species sampled may occur each year, regardless of environmental conditions. Estimates of the relative abundance of each species sampled changed markedly between years, and it is argued, on the basis of growth information contained in the otoliths, that differential survival of larvae and juveniles was largely responsible for this shift in relative abundance. Otolith microstructure provided information on the date of spawning and early growth patterns of all species sampled in the upper Mumumbidgee catchment. In addition to determining the age and thus 'birth-date' of an individual, the effect of a particular event or series of events has on growth, and subsequent survival, is permanently recorded in the otolith microstructure. This enables accurate back-calculation and correlation to management actions or natural events. No other research tool has this ability to retrospectively assess, on a daily basis, the impacts of management actions on condition and subsequent survival of fish larvae. Species sampled could be separated into three groups based on spawning requirements; those linked with flow, those linked with temperature and generalist species that appear to have river independent cues, such as photoperiod or moon phase. Patterns in growth rate during the early life history stages enabled quantification of the consequences of variation in environmental conditions on the survival and recruitment of various species. Growth was not always highly correlated with water temperature, in fact, for mountain galaxias, high temperatures appear to negatively affect larval condition and subsequent survival. Conversely, carp exhibited a strategy more consistent with common perceptions, with growth and survival increasing with increasing temperature. The study uncovered spawning and growth patterns that were unexpected. Age analysis of western carp gudgeon demonstrated that they had undertaken a mid-winter spawning, when the water temperature in the main channel was far lower than that at which spawning was previously recorded for this species. Redfin perch from the unregulated Goodradigbee River exhibited growth rates exceeding the published upper limits for this and other closely related species. This growth could not be correlated with either temperature or flow, indicating that there are additional factors that dominate growth rates of redfin perch in the Goodradigbee River. The proportion and abundance of native species alone is not necessarily indicative of a 'healthy' or pristine system; some native species may be positively affected by river regulation, at least as juveniles. Comparison of the current larval fish community with likely pre-European fish communities does provide an indication of change to the system. The results of this study suggest that larval fish growth rates can be strongly influenced by environmental conditions, thus providing a powerful tool for monitoring future change and the factors which cause it. This study has demonstrated the value of larval and juvenile fish age and growth information, derived from otolith microstructure techniques, for many aspects of river management. Current river management priorities for which these techniques provide unique information include the determination of environmental flow regimes and the control of undesirable exotic species such as carp.