NSW Department of Primary Industries

Threatened species

More topics in this section

In NSW, the responsibility for aquatic biodiversity is divided between NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Office of Environment and Heritage.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries is responsible for all species of fish and marine vegetation. Fish include sharks and rays, aquatic invertebrate animals, such as worms, snails, mussels, corals, sponges, sea urchins, barnacles, crabs, crayfish, aquatic insects and prawns. Marine vegetation includes all seaweeds, seagrasses and marine algae.

Other types of animals, including whales, dolphins, seals and waterbirds, and plants, including freshwater plants, are the responsibility of the Office of Environment and Heritage. The responsibility for threatened species and their management is shared between NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Threatened species in NSW - image gallery

Check out the gallery below for photos of some of the incredible aquatic threatened species found in NSW. You can find more details on each of these species and others listed under the Fisheries Management Act 1994, by visiting the threatened species list page.

A green and golden patterned eastern freshwater cod swimming just above the sandy bottom of a freshwater stream.

Eastern Freshwater Cod (Endangered). Image by Brett Vercoe

A dark grey eel-tailed catfish with white spots and long whiskers swimmin amongst submerged aquatic plants, logs and mossy sticks

Eel-Tailed Catfish (Endangered population -MDB) Image by Brett Vercoe

A stocky galaxias swimming above a small marine plant

Stocky Galaxias (Critically endangered). Image by T.Raadik

A great hammerhead swimming near the ocean surface inquisitively

Great Hammerhead Shark (Vulnerable). Image by Brett Vercoe

A small, shiny, gold and silver murray hardyhead swimming in mid-water

Murray Hardyhead (Critically endangered). Image by Gunther Schmida

A Notopala snail sitting on a rock with a brown and golden turban shaped shell

Hanley's River Snail (Critically endangered). Image by Dean Gilligan

An oxeleyan pygmy perch swimming

Oxleyan Pygmy Perch (Endangered). Image by Gunther Schmida

A purple-spotted gudgeon wimming amongst aquatic vegetation

Southern Purple-Spotted Gudgeon (Endangered). Image by Gunther Schmida

A sliver perch swimming above some smooth river boulders in a freshwater stream

Silver Perch (Vulnerable). Image by Gunther Schmida

Three marine slugs (smeagol) under a light microsope reveals the internal structure of the species

Smeagol hilaris (Critically endangered). Image by Dr Bill Rudman

A large trout cod swimming amongst the cobble stones and reeds

Trout Cod (Endangered). Image by Kris Pitman

An Adam's emerald dragonfly clinging to a small branch of a tree, with big blue eyes and clack and white stripes on its abdomen

Adam's Emerald Dragonfly (Endangered). Image by L. Müller

Greynurse shark swimming in vibrant blue ocean

Greynurse Shark (Critically endangered).

A large black cod swimming over rocky substrate

Black Rockcod (Endangered). Image by Dave Harasti

A colourful Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish

Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish (Critically endangered). Image by Robert McCormack Australian Aquatic Biological PL

White shark swimming at the camera showing teeth

White Shark (Vulnerable). Image by J.Jenkins

A green and golden patterned eastern freshwater cod swimming just above the sandy bottom of a freshwater stream.
A dark grey eel-tailed catfish with white spots and long whiskers swimmin amongst submerged aquatic plants, logs and mossy sticks
A stocky galaxias swimming above a small marine plant
A great hammerhead swimming near the ocean surface inquisitively
A small, shiny, gold and silver murray hardyhead swimming in mid-water
A Notopala snail sitting on a rock with a brown and golden turban shaped shell
An oxeleyan pygmy perch swimming
A purple-spotted gudgeon wimming amongst aquatic vegetation
A sliver perch swimming above some smooth river boulders in a freshwater stream
Three marine slugs (smeagol) under a light microsope reveals the internal structure of the species
A large trout cod swimming amongst the cobble stones and reeds
An Adam's emerald dragonfly clinging to a small branch of a tree, with big blue eyes and clack and white stripes on its abdomen
Greynurse shark swimming in vibrant blue ocean
A large black cod swimming over rocky substrate
A colourful Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish
White shark swimming at the camera showing teeth
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au