Clarence galaxias

Last updated

Clarence galaxias
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Galaxiiformes
Family: Galaxiidae
Genus: Galaxias
Species:
G. johnstoni
Binomial name
Galaxias johnstoni
Galaxias clarence.jpg

The Clarence galaxias (Galaxias johnstoni) is a species of fish in the family Galaxiidae endemic to Tasmania.

Contents

Description

The Clarence galaxias is scaleless and has a dark brown back with brown bars and bands extending down its sides, while the belly is a lighter yellow-cream color. Adults reach a body length of 12.5–14 cm and a maximum weight of 20 g. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Clarence galaxias is a freshwater species and inhabits lakes as well as swamps and streams connected to lakes. [3] It is endemic to Tasmania's Derwent River catchment, including the Clarence Lagoon. Only seven breeding populations are currently known. [2]

Conservation

While locally common, the species has been classified as endangered by the IUCN. [1] It is under pressure from predation and competition from introduced brown trout and rainbow trout. [2]


Behavior

This Galaxia is an ambush predator. They burrow or find a lair to predate from. Unless food is bountiful they show vigor and are aggressive during feeding .They tend to perch themselves on top of structures such as rocks using their pectoral fins regularly. They are more active during the evening. The foods observed eaten are only live foods such as nymphs, mosquito larve, and brine shrimp. Blood worms are an exception and also eaten frozen. Upon further observation, they clunkily get around swimming, turning their body they seem stiff in the mid section. They have tremendous strength relative to size with a thick front section, large gaping jaw and large fan like fins.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trout</span> Freshwater fish from subfamily Salmoninae

Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used for some similar-shaped but non-salmonid fish, such as the spotted seatrout/speckled trout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest National Park</span> National park in Tasmania, Australia

Southwest National Park is an Australian national park located in the south-west of Tasmania, bounded by the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the north and the Hartz Mountains National Park to the east. It is a part of a chain of national parks and state reserves that make up the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Covering an area of 6,183 km2 (2,387 sq mi), it is Tasmania's largest national park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaxiidae</span> Family of mostly small freshwater fish

The Galaxiidae are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority live in Southern Australia or New Zealand, but some are found in South Africa, southern South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, and the Falkland Islands. One galaxiid species, the common galaxias, is probably the most widely naturally distributed freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. They are coolwater species, found in temperate latitudes, with only one species known from subtropical habitats. Many specialise in living in cold, high-altitude upland rivers, streams, and lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climbing galaxias</span> Species of fish

The climbing galaxias or kōaro is a fish of the family Galaxiidae found in Australia, New Zealand, and nearby islands. The name climbing galaxias is used in Australia, and koaro or kōaro in New Zealand. Further vernacular names include short-finned galaxias, broad-finned galaxias, Cox's mountain galaxias, and Pieman galaxias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common galaxias</span> Species of fish

The common galaxias or inanga is a very widespread Southern Hemisphere fish in the family Galaxiidae. It is a slim, narrow fish with a forked tail and a mottled, spotty pattern, typically about 10 cm (4 in) long when fully grown. It lives in fresh water, but spawns at river mouths and spends the first six months of its life at sea, returning en masse in spring. Its vernacular names include cowfish, jollytail, common jollytail, eel gudgeon, inaka, native trout, pulangi, puye, slippery tarki, spotted minnow, Falklands minnow and whitebait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedder galaxias</span> Species of fish

The Pedder galaxias is an Australian freshwater fish. It is considered to be extinct in the wild since 2005 by the EPBC Act, and was originally found only in Lake Pedder in Tasmania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant kōkopu</span> Species of fish

The giant kōkopu is a threatened species of ray-finned fish in the genus Galaxias, found only in New Zealand. It can reach up to 58 cm (23 in) in length and 2.7 kg (6.0 lb) in weight, making it the largest species in the family Galaxiidae. It is a mainly lowland species, commonly found in slow-flowing streams, wetlands, lakes, and lagoons. Most populations have an amphidromous life cycle, with larvae going to sea soon after hatching and returning about four months later as small juveniles, 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in). Juvenile giant kōkopu form a small part of the annual whitebait catch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldon's galaxias</span> Species of fish

Eldon's galaxias is an endangered galaxiid fish endemic to New Zealand. One of several fishes in the genus Galaxias found in Central Otago, it has a very small home range and is at risk of being driven to extinction by trout introduced for recreational fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common river galaxias</span> Species of fish

The common river galaxias or Canterbury galaxias is a galaxiid fish of the genus Galaxias, found only in Canterbury, New Zealand.

<i>Galaxias</i> Genus of fishes

Galaxias is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Galaxiidae, and are frequently referred to as the galaxiids. These highly adaptable fish are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape galaxias</span> Species of fish

The Cape galaxias is a species of freshwater fish of the family Galaxiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted galaxias</span> Species of fish

Spotted galaxias is a largish, primarily-freshwater galaxias species found in southern Australia. Spotted galaxias are perhaps the most beautiful of the Australian galaxias species. They are a somewhat tubular, deep-bodied fish, with a dusky brownish-red colouration overlain with dark, haloed spots, dramatic black edges to dorsal, anal and pelvic fins, and a dark diagonal stripe through the eye.

<i>Galaxias fontanus</i> Species of fish endemic to Tasmania, Australia

Galaxias fontanus, the Swan galaxias, is a species of fish in the family Galaxiidae. It is endemic to eastern Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden galaxias</span>

The Golden galaxias is an endangered species of landlocked galaxiid fish belonging to the genus Galaxias. It is endemic to Lakes Crescent, Sorell, and their associated waterways located in central Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern pygmy perch</span> Species of fish

The southern pygmy perch, also known as the Tasmanian pygmy perch, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a temperate perch from the family Percichthyidae which is native to south-eastern Australia and Tasmania.

Galaxias gunaikurnai, the Shaw galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

Galaxias lanceolatus, the tapered galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

Galaxias supremus, the Kosciuszko galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

Galaxias tantangara, the stocky galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia. Only discovered in 2014, the fish is classed as critically endangered, mainly because of being preyed upon by introduced species of trout.

Galaxias terenasus, the roundsnout galaxias, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 Freeman, R. (2019). "Galaxias johnstoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T8806A129040727. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T8806A129040727.en . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Jean Jackson; David Crook (2002). "Clarence galaxias - Galaxias johnstoni" (PDF). ASFB Newsletter. Australian Society for Fish Biology. 32 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  3. 1 2 "Galaxias johnstoni". Fish Base. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
Clarence galaxias in net.jpg