Bugs
Invertebrates (animals without backbones) can be found in nearly all water bodies, from puddles to lakes and temporary streams to large flowing rivers. Invertebrates, or "bugs", are a nutritious and abundant food source for fish, frogs, birds and platypus. As important links in the aquatic food web, the type and variety of bugs that we find in a river can tell us about its health and whether there are any pollutants affecting the water quality.
The Broken River is a host to a range of invertebrates including crustaceans, worms, insects and snails. In the Goulburn Broken catchment bugs are used by school and community groups, research organisations and government agencies to track the health of the river.
Some of these groups and projects include:
- Waterwatch Australia
- Waterwatch Victoria
- Goulburn Valley Waterwatch
- Goulburn Valley Waterwatch Catchment Capers
- AusRivas
- Murray Darling Basin Commission
- Victorian Water Data Warehouse (Index of Stream condition)
- SIGNAL scores
Choose an insect or invertebrate from the menu on the right for more information or download all the information in PDF format.
(Source for the "Bugs" section: NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources' "NSW Water Bug Survey Buglopedia Factsheets" website. Further information can be found at the New South Wales State Government: Bug Survey website - www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au)
