Lowland longjaw galaxias

Lowland longjaw galaxias

Nationally Critical (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Osmeriformes
Family:Galaxiidae
Genus:Galaxias
Species: G. cobitinis
Binomial name
Galaxias cobitinis
McDowall & Waters, 2002
External image
Holotype for Galaxias cobitinis, McDowall & Waters, 2002 - Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand

The lowland longjaw galaxias (Galaxias cobitinis) is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in the South Island of New Zealand, in the Kauru River, a tributary of the Kakanui River in north Otago, and in parts of the upper Waitaki catchment. It grows to a length of up to 7 cm.

Lowland longjaw galaxias are slender and elongate, having colouration consisting of spots and indistinct bands of various shades of brown and grey. The single dorsal and anal fins are about two thirds of the way along the body. Like all galaxiids it lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus. The lower jaw is forward of the upper.

Conservation status

In 2013 the Department of Conservation classified the lowland longjaw galaxias as Nationally Critical under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It was judged as meeting the criteria for Nationally Critical threat status as a result of there being a population of less than 250 mature adults. The lowland longjaw galaxias is considered conservation dependent, existing in one location and suffering extreme fluctuations in population.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Goodman, Jane M.; et al. (2014). Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fish, 2013 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. Retrieved 28 July 2015.

References

  • Allibone, R; West, D; Closs, G.; Franklin, P.; David, B.; Ling, N. & Crow, S. (2014). "Galaxias cobitinis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2014: e.T197288A2481368. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T197288A2481368.en. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  • Dunn, N., & O'Brien, L. (2006). "Gravel burrowing ability in Galaxias cobitinis DOC Research & Development Series 236, Department of Conservation, Wellington.
  • Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2015). "Galaxias cobitinis" in FishBase. April 2015 version.
  • McDowall, R. M., & Waters, J. M. (2003). "A new species of Galaxias (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) from the Mackenzie Basin, New Zealand" Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 33 (3): 675–691. doi:10.1080/03014223.2003.9517752


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