▁is ▁secret ive ▁and ▁no ct urn al , ▁limit ing ▁its ▁appeal . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁status ▁▁ ▁Tas man ian ▁mud fish ▁are ▁not ▁listed ▁nation ally ▁as ▁threatened ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁relative ▁abund ance ▁in ▁Tas mania . ▁ ▁The ▁fish ▁is , ▁however , ▁listed ▁in ▁Victoria ▁as ▁crit ically ▁end anger ed ▁under ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁Flora ▁and ▁Fa una ▁Gu arante e ▁Act . ▁ ▁L ifecycle ▁▁ ▁Sp aw ning ▁in ▁late ▁winter , ▁the ▁h atch ed ▁lar va e ▁are ▁was hed ▁out ▁to ▁sea , ▁sp ending ▁about ▁ 2 ▁to ▁ 3 ▁months ▁at ▁sea ▁or ▁in ▁est u aries ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁fresh ▁water ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁white b ait ▁migration . ▁ ▁Tas man ian ▁mud fish ▁are ▁smaller ▁than ▁other ▁species ▁compr ising ▁the ▁white b ait ▁fish ery , ▁generally ▁only ▁ 3 0 ▁to ▁ 4 0   mm ▁at ▁this ▁age . ▁ ▁The ▁ju ven ile ▁fish ▁migr ate ▁up stream ▁to ▁their ▁usual ▁habitat . ▁ ▁No ct urn al ▁in ▁habit ▁and ▁secret ive ▁in ▁nature , ▁the ▁fish ▁usually ▁rest ▁during ▁day light ▁in ▁heavy ▁veget ation ▁or ▁half ▁buried ▁in ▁the ▁mud dy ▁substr ate . ▁ ▁N . ▁cle aver i ▁can ▁a est iv ate ▁if ▁water ▁in ▁its ▁location ▁d ries ▁up ▁in ▁summer ▁or ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁dr ought , ▁b ury ing ▁hor izont ally ▁in ▁the ▁mud ▁or ▁by ▁seeking ▁out ▁mo ist ▁areas