Fish population biology


Research leaders:

Ian Potter and Norm Hall

Research team:

Peter Coulson, David Fairclough, Bryn Farmer, Dan French, Elaine Lek, Matt Pember, Michael Travers and Corey Wakefield

Key research

  • David Fairclough and Ian Potter - Biology of four species of tuskfish in Shark Bay, including that of the recreationally and commercially very important baldchin groper Choerodon rubescens. See hermaphrodite research page.
  • Alex Hesp and Ian Potter - Basic biological parameters of the western yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus latus, a species which is of commercial and recreational importance in Shark Bay, and comparisons with the biology of the tarwhine Rhabdosargus sarba in Shark Bay and in the Swan River Estuary and nearby coastal waters much further south.
  • Corey Wakefield and Norm Hall - Biology and stock assessment of the commercially and recreationally important pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) in marine waters on the central, lower and south coasts of Western Australia.
  • Peter Coulson and Ian Potter - Age and size compositions, growth rates and reproductive biology of yellowfin whiting (Sillago schomburgkii) in Shark Bay, and comparing these with data recorded previously for this species in more southern waters near Perth. Biology of the co-occuring sillaginid Sillago analis.
  • Matt Pember, Ian Potter and Glen Young - Roles played by nearshore waters of the Pilbara/Kimberley coast in the life cycles of the most important commercial and recreational fish species found in that region.
  • Michael Travers, Ian Potter and Steve Newman (Dept of Fisheries WA) - Collection of preliminary biological data for some of the more abundant fish species in more offshore waters of the Pilbara Kimberley coast.
  • Dan French, Tim Carter and Ian Potter - Biological data for the recreationally important silver trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) and of the closely related sand trevally (Pseudocaranx wrighti) in marine waters of the lower west coast of Australia.
  • Bryn Farmer and Ian Potter - Biological data for the prize fish mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) from metropolitan and more northern waters.
  • Steve Moore and Ian Potter - Biology of the recreationally important breaksea cod (Epinephelides armatus).
  • Elaine Lek, David Fairclough and Ian Potter. Biology (reproductive biology, age and growth, diets) of three abundant labrids (Coris auricularis, Notolabrus parilus and Ophthalmolepis lineolatus) in the Jurien Bay Marine Park.

Main funding bodies

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Department of Fisheries Western Australia

Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment


Most recent related publications

Coulson, P., Hesp, S.A. and Potter, I.C. 2005. Comparisons between the biology of two co-occurring species of whiting (Sillaginidae) in a large marine embayment. Env. Biol. Fish. 73 : 125-139.
Fairclough, D.V., Dimmlich, W.F. and Potter, I.C. 2000. Length and age compositions and growth rates of the Australian herring Arripis georgiana in different regions. Marine and Freshwater Research 51 : 631-640.
Fairclough, D.V., Dimmlich, W.F. and Potter, I.C. 2000. Reproductive biology of the Australian herring Arripis georgiana. Marine and Freshwater Research 51 : 619-630.
Fairclough, D.V., Hesp, S.A., Potter, I.C. and Hall, N.G. 2003. Determination of the biological parameters required for managing the fisheries of four species of tuskfish and western yellowfin bream. Draft FRDC Final Report (2000/137).
Hall, N.G., Hesp, S.A. and Potter, I.C. 2004. A Bayesian approach for overcoming inconsistencies in mortality estimates using, as an example, data for Acanthopagrus latus. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 61 : 1202-1211.
Hesp, S.A., Hall, N.G. and Potter, I.C. 2004. Size-related movements of Rhabdosargus sarba in three different environments and their influence on estimates of von Bertalanffy growth parameters. Mar. Biol. 144 : 449-462.
Hesp, S.A. and Potter, I.C. 2003. Reproductive biology of Rhabdosargus sarba (Sparidae) in Western Australian waters, in which it is a rudimentary hermaphrodite. J. mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 83 : 1333-1346.
Hesp, S.A., Potter, I.C. and Hall, N.G. 2002. Age and size compositions, growth rates, reproductive biology and habitats of the West Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) and their relevance to the management of this species. Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 100 : 214-227.
Hesp, S.A., Potter, I.C. and Hall, N.G. 2004. Reproductive biology and protandrous hermaphroditism in Acanthopagrus latus. Env. Biol. Fish. 70 : 257-272.
Hesp, S.A., Potter, I.C. and Schubert, S.R.M. 2004. Factors influencing the timing and frequency of spawning and fecundity of the goldlined seabream (Rhabdosargus sarba) (Sparidae) in the lower reaches of an estuary. Fish. Bull., U.S. 102 : 648 660.
Radebe, P.V., Mann, B.Q., Beckley, L.E. and Govender, A. 2002. Age and growth of the Natal stumpnose Rhabdosargus sarba (Pisces, Sparidae) from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Fisheries Research 58 : 193-201.
Sarre, G.A. and Potter, I.C. 1999. Comparisons between the reproductive biology of black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (Teleostei : Sparidae) in four estuaries with widely differing characteristics. International Journal of Salt Lake Research 8 : 179-210.
Sarre, G.A. and Potter, I.C. 2000. Variation in age compositions and growth rates of Acanthopagrus butcheri (Sparidae) among estuaries: some possible contributing factors. Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 98 : 785-799.