Edited 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