Find out more about nationally threatened species in the Species Profile and Threats Database. In Queensland threatened species are listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 in the following wildlife classes: Species can also be classed as near threatened, if they are at risk of becoming threatened in the near future. Queensland’s Threatened Species Program
In fact, the Australian snubfin was the first new dolphin species to be described in 56 years, but was followed, in 2011, by the discovery and description of the Burrunan dolphin (T. australis), also from the Australian continent. Their white underside, including the belly and genitals, helps in distinguishing them from the Irrawaddy dolphins. In the Pacific Ocean off Townsville, about 200 individual snubfin dolphins were found. Conservation of the Irrawaddy dolphin. [3] The common name "snubfin dolphin" was suggested in 1981 and highlights a diagnostic external character and has previously been used in field guides for identification. The results showed George Heinsohn was correct in his hypothesis that the Townsville population was a new species. Like the Irrawaddy dolphins, the Australian snubfins can weigh up to 130 kg. [21], Australian snubfin dolphins are also listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN. [9] Much of the data on the Irrawaddy dolphins of this region is collected by the Lao shore, where they are sighted daily during the dry season supposedly due to the importance of deep-water pools in the area. The department administers a range of key environmental protection legislation and uses leading-edge science to guide and prioritise its management responses to improve conservation outcomes. Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement framework. Nonetheless, the existence of snubfin dolphins in the waters of northern Australia had only become known in 1948, when a skull was found at Melville Bay (Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory). Cytochrome. As at 31 August 2020, there were 1000 threatened species (230 animals and 770 plants) listed as threatened under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. Australian snubfin dolphins are natives of Australian and the Oriental coastal waters around the Sahul shelf. Within Australia their range is from Brisbane in … Australian snubfin dolphins are currently listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN. It closely resembles the Irrawaddy dolphin (of the same genus, Orcaella) and was not described as a separate species until 2005. It is listed on Appendix II[20] as it has an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation organised by tailored agreements. Where do Australian snubfin dolphins live? Increases in floods, cyclone severity, storm surges and sea surface temperatures due to climate change will likely also affect the habitat and future food supply of snubfin dolphins. The species was given the status due to the low sizes of sub-populations, significant range declines, and threats to the species continue to be documented, unsustainable and severe. Robertson KM, Arnold PW (2009) Australian snubfin dolphin. Phylogenetic relationships among the delphinid cetaceans based on full cytochrome, May-Collado, L., Agnarsson, I. Suspected distributionQuestion marks indicate areas where snubnosed dolphins have not been recorded but might occur. [11] Irrawaddy dolphins have a slate blue to a slate gray color and their bodies can grow up to 180-275 centimeters in length. Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009. [3], The snubfin dolphins (Orcaella) contain two of the 35 species of oceanic dolphins that make up the Cetacean family of Delphinidae. Some species are declining in numbers and are at risk of extinction due to a range of threatening processes. Department of the Environment and Water Resources. It aims to deliver coordinated actions to identify, protect and recover threatened species across our terrestrial and aquatic environments and mitigate the threatening processes that impact them. [8] They are found in small groups of about 2–6, but larger groups (up to 14 individuals) have also been observed. The new species has a rounded forehead, very unlike other dolphin species in Australia, and the very small, "snubby" dorsal fin distinguishes it from other dolphins in its range. (2006). 180–185. They include mortality from bycatch (specifically gillnets); habitat degradation caused by: dams, deforestation, and mining; contact with vessels; and capture for live aquarium display. Tail flukes also have an identifiable jagged trailing edge that can help distinguish it from other species of delphinids. [12] These dolphins swim rather slowly while scouting for areas. Evolution of the common cetacean highly repetitive DNA component and the systematic position of, LeDuc, R.G., Perrin, W.F., Dizon, A.E. Indeed, one study of snubfins on the Great Barrier Reef found levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) far exceeding the thresholds for small cetaceans, over which reproductive anomalies and immunosuppression can occur. [6] Jets of water appear to cause fish to leap from the water towards the dolphin, making them easier prey targets. Although data of population structure and population trends is limited, the species was categorized as near threatened rather than data deficient. [6][7], Irrawaddy dolphins are mainly found in shallow and coastal waters in the Indo-West Pacific region. [16] Another big part of the snubfin diet are cephalopods. Macdonald, D., ed. [13], Snub fin dolphins have also been observed interacting with Australian humpback dolphins, and one case of a hybrid between the two species was documented using DNA analysis in 2014.[14]. Threatened species are allocated to different wildlife classes depending on the degree of risk of their extinction. Usually the average school of Australian snubfins consists of five dolphins. provides the framework for helping conserve Queensland’s most vulnerable flora and fauna species. Found along the north and eastern coasts of Australia and up to the coast of Papua New Guinea, Australian snubfin dolphins tend to congregate in shallow waters of 10 metres deep or less. The Australian snubfin dolphin is unusual among recently described mammals in that a population is accessible for scientific study. Beasley, Isabel L. (2007). Beasley, I., K. Robertson, P. Arnold. (PDF, 1.4MB)
The skull and the fins also show minor differences between the two species. [15] Being opportunistic feeders snubfins consume a large array of prey items. (2006). Anti-shark nets and drumlines put in place for Queensland's shark control program are also a significant threat to snubfins, with about 1.8 snubfin dolphins killed every year between 1997 and 2011. Description of a New Dolphin, the Australian Snubfin Dolphin. , provides evidence that land clearing causes species extinction and habitat loss, exacerbates other threatening processes, and reduces the resilience of threatened species to survive future challenges such as climate change. Design developed by Boyd Blackman, a Butchulla and Birri Birri man, featuring the artwork of Elaine Chambers, a Koa (Guwa) and Kuku Yalanji woman. A scientific review of the impacts of land clearing on threatened species in Queensland 2017
[12], Irrawaddy dolphins eat fish and crustaceans and are rarely found by themselves. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (EPBC Act) lists species that are threatened nationally.