Fish happenings at Lake Cargelligo

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Fish happenings at Lake Cargelligo

2000 captive bred olive perchlet have been released into the Lachlan River above Lake Cargelligo Weir in an effort to re‐establish a
population of this endangered species. 
These small fish were once widespread in the lower Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and lower Murray rivers and throughout the Darling drainage systems in NSW.
Their serious decline is thought to be the result of predation by introduced fish, habitat degradation and rapid fluctuations in water levels.
They had not been seen for more than 40 years until spotted during sampling in the Lachlan River in 2007. As the drought worsened in 2009, plans to save critical water supplies in the Lachlan valley included drying out Mountain Creek, the last population of olive perchlets in the entire southern Murray‐Darling Basin. A handful of these fish were collected by NSW DPI staff and placed in a pond on‐site at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre as a safe‐guard.
During the next 18 months a successful breeding program increased olive perchlet numbers from 250 to 3500. When recent surveys confirmed that the olive perchlets at Mountain Creek had, surprisingly, survived the drought, it was decided to stock 2000 captivebred perchlets into the Lachlan River above Lake Cargelligo Weir.
The perchlet numbers will be monitored during the next 12 months. For more information, contact Martin Asmus, NSW DPI, on 02 6958 8204.


The olive perchlet, or glass perchlet, ( Ambassis agassizii ) is a small native fish, four to six centimetres long.
Photo: Gunther Schmida
Source: NSW Fisheries