Animals in Our Waterways
Macroinvertebrates (water bugs)
Macroinvertebrates (water bugs) are animals without a backbone that we can see without needing microscopes and magnifying glasses. They can tell us a lot about how healthy a waterway is, because they are a good indicator of pollution and habitat. If there is too much pollution and not a lot of habitat, many types of water bugs will not survive.
Water bugs are a very important part of the environment because they are food for fish, platypus and birds.
Platypus
Platypus are amazing creatures. They are one of only two animals that both lay eggs and feed their young milk. Platypus are a valuable indicator of river health, because they need to eat a lot of macroinvertebrates. It can be difficult to spot platypus in the wild, because they are very shy and prefer to look for food at dusk or dawn. During the day, platypus hide in their burrow, which they dig in the side of the river bank. Litter is a threat to platypus because they can become tangled.
Water Birds
Our waterways are home to a variety of birds. Birds are often seen in and around waterways, because waterways are important habitat in urban areas.
Many birds, such as these black swans are specialised in living on the waterway. They have webbed feet for swimming and a long neck so that they can reach down in search of food.
Some birds have become used to people feeding them, however it is important not to feed them human food like bread because it can damage their health.
Fish
There are many different types of fish that live in our waterways. Some are native, while others have been introduced. One of the most abundant native fish is the Common Galaxias (pictured). Common Galaxias are quite a small fish and only grow to 19 cm. These fish like waterways without dams or weirs, because they need to be able to follow the waterway all the way to the estuary. At the estuary, where the fresh water meets the sea, they lay there eggs. Most fish need good water quality, as well as good habitat in the stream. Fish use habitat to hide and search for food.
Frogs
There have been 15 different frog species recorded in and around Melbourne. Frogs can often be heard around waterways, but they can be very hard to find. Each frog has its own individual call. When you hear frogs calling, you are only hearing half of all the frogs, because it is only the male frogs that call. Each type of frog has a different type of call. This pobblebonk makes a loud “bonk” sound when it calls. Frogs need good habitat to hide from predators and search for food.
