Estuarine fishes of the South Alligator River, Kakadu National Park, northern Australia

Kakadu National Park's South Alligator River estuary supports a rich and diverse fish fauna, with 81 taxa identified, including 26 previously unrecorded species. This study highlights the region's ecological significance, contrasting with the degradation seen in many other global estuaries. Dominated by Sciaenidae and Engraulidae, the fish assemblage exhibits pronounced seasonal and spatial variation, driven primarily by changes in discharge, salinity, and productivity. Unlike other northern Australian estuaries, this system shows heterogeneous composition unrelated to measured habitat aspects, posing challenges for management amid ongoing water resource development.

Pusey, B. J., Kennard, M. J., Larson, H. K., Alsop, Q., Hammer, M., & Buckle, D. J. (2015). Estuarine fishes of the South Alligator River, Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 67(12), 1797–1812. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf15221