Galaxias

Taxobox
name = "Galaxias"

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = A mountain galaxias from south-east Australia.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Osmeriformes
familia = Galaxiidae
subfamilia = Galaxiinae
genus = "Galaxias"
genus_authority = Cuvier, 1816
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

Galaxias is the common name for a large group of smallish, highly successful freshwater fish in the "Galaxias" genus and "Galaxiidae" family. Galaxias are restricted to the southern hemisphere, and generally only occur in temperate latitudes; only one species is known from sub-tropical habitat (McDowall, 2006). Before European settlement, galaxias were the dominant group of native freshwater fish in New Zealand, and, along with the Percichthyidae, one of two dominant groups of native fish freshwater in south-eastern Australia.

Galaxias are cool water species, with many wholly freshwater species specialising in high altitude upland streams (including very small streams), rivers and lakes. Some galaxias species include a marine stage in their life cycle where larvae are washed out to sea where they develop and return to rivers as juveniles. These species are consequently also found in low altitude habitats, but frequently migrate to high altitude reaches of river systems in their adult stage.

Wholly freshwater galaxias species are gravely threatened by exotic salmonid species, particularly exotic trout species, which prey heavily upon galaxias and compete with them for food. This is a major concern as exotic trout species have been recklessly introduced to many different landmasses (e.g. Australia, New Zealand), with no thought as to impacts on native fish such as galaxias, and no attempt to preserve some exotic-trout-free habitats for native fish.

In most situations, wholly freshwater galaxias species show a complete inability to survive in the presence of exotic trout species, and many wholly freshwater galaxias species now occur only in the rare trout-free habitats still available to them. Numerous localised extinctions of wholly freshwater galaxias species (i.e. mountain galaxias) have been caused by the introduction of exotic trout species (including ongoing illegal stockings) and a number of wholly freshwater galaxias species are threatened with overall extinction by exotic trout species and other exotic salmonids (McDowall, 2006).

pecies

* Roundhead galaxias, "Galaxias anomalus" Stokell, 1959
* Giant kokopu, "Galaxias argenteus" (Gmelin, 1789)
* Golden galaxias, "Galaxias auratus" Johnston, 1883
* Climbing or short-fin galaxias or Koaro (NZ) "Galaxias brevipinnis" Günther, 1866
* Lowland longjawed galaxias, "Galaxias cobitinis" McDowall & Waters, 2002
* Flathead galaxias (Australia), "Galaxias rostratus" Klunzinger, 1872
* Mountain galaxias, "Galaxias olidus" Günter, 1866
* Flathead galaxias (New Zealand), "Galaxias depressiceps" McDowall & Wallis, 1996
* Dwarf galaxias, "Galaxias divergens" Stokell, 1959
* Eldons galaxias, "Galaxias eldoni" McDowall, 1997
* Banded kokopu, "Galaxias fasciatus" Gray, 1842
* Swan galaxias, "Galaxias fontanus" Fulton, 1978
* Brown galaxias or barred galaxias, "Galaxias fuscus" Mack, 1936
* "Galaxias globiceps" Eigenmann, 1928
* Gollum galaxias, "Galaxias gollumoides" McDowall & Chadderton, 1999
* Dwarf inanga, "Galaxias gracilis" McDowall, 1967
* Clarence galaxias, "Galaxias johnstoni" Scott, 1936
* Common galaxias, inanga, common jollytail or puyen, "Galaxias maculatus" (Jenyns, 1842)
* "Galaxias neocaledonicus" Weber & de Beaufort, 1913
* "Galaxias niger" Andrews, 1985
* Western galaxias, "Galaxias occidentalis" Ogilby, 1899
* "Galaxias olidus" Günther, 1866
* Small pedder galaxias, "Galaxias parvus" Frankenberg, 1968
* Alpine galaxias, "Galaxias paucispondylus" Stokell, 1938
* Pedder galaxias, "Galaxias pedderensis" Frankenberg, 1968
* "Galaxias platei" Steindachner, 1898
* Shortjaw kokopu, "Galaxias postvectis" Clarke, 1899
* Longjawed galaxias, "Galaxias prognathus" Stokell, 1940
* Dusky galaxias, "Galaxias pullus" McDowall, 1997
* Saddled galaxias, "Galaxias tanycephalus" Fulton, 1978
* Spotted galaxias, "Galaxias truttaceus" Valenciennes, 1846
* Common river galaxias or Canterbury galaxias, "Galaxias vulgaris" Stokell, 1949
* Cape galaxias, "Galaxias zebratus" (Castelnau, 1861)

elected References

McDowall, R.M. (2006) Crying wolf, crying foul, or crying shame: alien salmonids and a biodiversity crisis in the southern cool-temperate galaxioid fishes? "Rev Fish Biol Fisheries" 16: 233–422.