Abstract
Studies in the Fitzroy River commenced in 2001 and have been ongoing. Strong collaboration between indigenous organisations and communities has resulted in a number of important projects being completed. Projects have resulted in fish posters of the river’s fishes in five Aboriginal languages and an increased awareness of the importance of the river to endangered species, such as Freshwater Sawfish, Dwarf Sawfish, Northern River Sharks, Barnett River Gudgeon and Greenway’s Grunter. Species distributions and habitat associations have been completed and the biology of a number of species, including Barramundi, Freshwater Sawfish, Dwarf Sawfish, Bull Sharks and Lesser Salmon Catfish, determined. The diets and trophic relationships for many of the river’s fishes have been examined. Genetic work has compared the Fitzroy River populations of Barramundi, Freshwater Sawfish and Dwarf Sawfish to those elsewhere. Tagging (conventional, acoustic and satellite) studies for Freshwater Sawfish are ongoing.