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.
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.
The flathead galaxias is a freshwater fish found in lowland rivers and streams and associated billabongs, backwaters, etc. of the southern Murray-Darling river system in Australia.
The mountain galaxias is a species complex of freshwater galaxiid fish found all over southeast Australia.
The common galaxias or inanga is a very widespread Southern Hemisphere fish in the family Galaxiidae. It is 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 and whitebait.
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.
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The banded kōkopu is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in New Zealand, including the Chatham and Stewart/Rakiura islands. It commonly grows to 20–25 cm, but has been recorded growing to around 30 cm. Juvenile banded kōkopu are good climbers and can climb up waterfalls and other vertical surfaces by moving into the splash zone and wriggling up the surface, using the water surface tension and their large downturned fins for grip.
The shortjaw kōkopu is a galaxiid fish, endemic to New Zealand. They are large, scaleless fish which inhabit stable pools in cascading, bouldery streams with forest cover. Shortjaw kōkopu are amphidromous, with the fry going to sea after hatching, and returning as juveniles to fresh water where they grow to adulthood. They may grow to a maximum of 350 mm (14 in) in total length, but more commonly reach 150–200 mm (5.9–7.9 in).
The dwarf inanga is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found in the North Island of New Zealand.
The Central Otago roundhead galaxias is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in the Taieri and Clutha catchments in Otago, New Zealand. It grows to a length of up to 13 cm.
The dusky galaxias is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in the Taieri and Clutha catchments in Otago, New Zealand.
The common river galaxias or Canterbury galaxias is a galaxiid fish of the genus Galaxias, found only in Canterbury, New Zealand.
The Gollum galaxias is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in New Zealand, on Stewart Island/Rakiura, throughout the Catlins and Southland, and in the Nevis River. It grows to a length of up to 15 cm.
Galaxias is a genus of small, highly successful freshwater fish in the family Galaxiidae. They are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere and are frequently referred to as galaxiids.
The Cape galaxias, Galaxias zebratus, is a South African freshwater fish of the family Galaxiidae.
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.
Galaxias fontanus, the Swan galaxias, is a species of fish in the family Galaxiidae. It is endemic to eastern Tasmania, Australia.
Galaxias globiceps is a species of fish in the family Galaxiidae endemic to Chile.
Galaxiella munda is a species of fish in the family Galaxiidae. It is endemic to inland waters of southwestern Australia, and known as the Western mud minnow. In 1999 the Mud Minnow was not included in the list of threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, but is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
