Hi,

Our short-finned eels (Anguilla australis), important though they are, and
interesting archaeologically as they are, aren't really much different than
others in the same genus worldwide.

Various mullet species (Mugilidae) have been really important archaeologically
(and still are) as well (although surprisingly poorly represented in the
archaeological record for reasons not fully understood) - but again, these
obviously aren't unique to us.

The Kiwi’s beloved whitebait (Galaxias sp.) is another that is important –
again, not a unique genus, but they are a unique species I think, and the South
Island West Coast whitebait season is pretty much culturally their own.

Barramundi, on the other hand are mostly a southern thing (although are also as
far NW as Persian Gulf and NE as Sth China on a quick web search). Although
they are catadromous rather than anadromous (but then so are eels, mullet, and
(I think) NZ whitebait).

It makes sense of course that diadromous fish aren’t in themselves usually
geographically unique – what with the way they get around and all – but the
cultural associations with them often are. So off the top off my head and
recapping a bit:
-	Eels: amazing stuff with earthworks and a kind off fish-farming going on (as
Jon said, Heather Builth’s thing). Has been associated with mid-Holocene
Aboriginal intensification (especially by Harry Lourandos I think). Not a big
thing these days; there is a commercial harvest that is almost all exported.
-	Mullet: A big target of coastal fish traps and fish drives in the past
(described in an archaeological context I think by Charlie Dortch for Western
Australia) and for people fishing with spears (still done in the far north);
there’s also a paper describing Aboriginal people co-operatively fishing mullet
runs with dolphins in south-east Queensland I think). Now commercially very
important.
-	Barramundi: still very important for northern Aboriginal people and
represented really beautifully in some rock art from places like Kakadu
(there’s also eel rock art in southeast). Also important these days for
recreational fishers and very big aquaculture species. The commercial fishery
relies on gill-netting estuaries which probably won’t remain acceptable for
much longer (probably would have been stopped years ago anywhere but the
Northern Territory). In the southeast there’s also another of our ‘native
perches’ that we even more confusingly call ‘bass’ that is diadromous, but it’s
not as important as barra’.
-	NZ whitebait: significant to West Coasters today, but I can’t comment on
anything archaeological.

Finally, it might be worth noting that Tasmania and New Zealand now have
significant numbers of diadromous salmon and brown trout since introductions in
the 19th Century.

Cheers,

--
Oliver Brown
PhD candidate
Archaeology, A22, University of Sydney, 2006, NSW
Office:(02) 9351 5712 / mob: 0427 279 675 / hm: 9665 2073

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