Fish in Dams and Bore Drains

Imagine a dam, newly constructed, isolated from any known river or perennial water course which, after a short time, contains fish. Why? The same thing happens with bore drains. Fed by very hot water from deep in the artesian bore basin the fish are seen up close to the bore head where a human would get scalded if they put in their hand.

How did these fish get there? Why would fish, fish that had transparent bodies and visible organs through the body, venture so close to the hot water of the gushing waters of the artesian bore head that, maybe, ran at 100c. at the surface? This is not explained here, other than to say that if the food source is closer to the bore head, then survival of the fittest would prevail.

Some theorists suggest that the fish in bore drains come from the higher fissures of rock since the water comes to the surface under its massive underground pressure. Others say the the fish flow across the land in flood time in the shape of roe, and then survive the egg/birth process.

Here is another theory: It was told to me by an aboriginal stockman who did have a good sense of nature, and who passed on some of his knowledge to anyone that cared to listen.

Because the water, in the wet season of the Outback is often a massive outpouring of water across otherwise barren land, water birds, fish eating water birds like pelicans, cranes of all kinds, kingfishers and the like, congregate in massive numbers.

Some of the stork family, and I would see no reason why others of the kind would be much different, also carry some type of body pestilence so, here-in is this fish propagation theory.

These birds do not have the intelligence to know where fish are and where they are not.  But they do know that they have an itch that can be attended to by any fish that may be in the water in which they landed in at any particular time.

You will see water birds walk into the water, lift their feathers and wings and settle down for a parasite pedicure. After this free treatment, if the fish are actually present, the bird will go to the bank, shake all the plumes back into place, and dine on the small fish that had given them the relief.  Life goes on.
But, not all the little fish, nor the roe of little fish and other water critters are shaken from the feathers.

Thus, dear reader, as the bird flies to another water source, be it a new dam or a bore drain, it will again wallow in the water for a bit of lice treatment. Here is where the few small fish and roe from the previous site, that  had managed to be concealed in the feathers of the bird, may be transferred into a new water environment.

Remember that I have said that this is a theory, if you have a better one, let us all know.