Austral Research and Consulting staff were undertaking fish surveys in the Kerang Lakes in support of a Goulburn Murray Water project in late Octoberwhen there was an exciting find - the discovery or rediscovery of the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon.  There was no mistaking the identity of the distinctive, little native gudgeon that we had collected in our fyke nets that morning and the identification has since been independently verified from photos and a DNA sample.   All survey activities were ceased immediately, and the appropriate authorities notified of the discovery.

Discoveries of this nature are very rare and our team is excited and interested to determine the structure of the population and hope that it is robust and self-sustaining.  Further surveys will be required to determine the status and distribution of this species. 

Until last week there were only 22 records of the species in Victoria and it has not been recorded since it was found in Cadross Lakes in 1996.  A rediscovered population in South Australia is now preserved in a captive breeding program although reintroduction attempts have yet to result in the successful establishment of a self-sustaining population. 

While Australia's large-bodied native species garner a lot of attention due to the broader community interest in recreational species, our team has a keen interest in our small-bodied native species.   At a time when there are few good news stories in the Murray Darling Basin we feel this is a small glimmer of hope for the survival of the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon that until last week was considered regionally extinct.