Range expansion of a widespread Indo-Pacific haemulid, the barred javelin Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier, 1830), in a climate change hotspot

The authors report a first sighting of a euryhaline fish in the climate change hotspot along Australia's south-eastern coast. The barred javelin, Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier, 1830) was found in the Nambucca River in New South Wales, Australia, during 2021 and 2022. Specimens were adult, suggesting they may not be transitory vagrants. The new southernmost location recorded here represents a c. 200 km out-of-range sighting compared to previous records, and is c. 380 km south of the southernmost Australian stronghold of the species in Moreton Bay, Queensland.

Automated summary

The authors have reported the first sighting of a euryhaline fish, Pomadasys kaakan, in the climate change hotspot along Australia's south-eastern coast. Adult specimens were found in the Nambucca River in New South Wales, Australia, suggesting they may be resident rather than transitory. This represents a range extension of approximately 200 km beyond previous records, and is around 380 km south of the species' southern stronghold in Moreton Bay, Queensland.