Scientific Name: Galaxias olidus
Common Name: Mountain Galaxia
Other Names: n/a
Order: Osmeriformes
Family: Galaxiidae
Distribution: Southern Queensland around the east coast to South Australia
Habitat: Highland streams, creeks rivers and lakes
Identifying Features: Small fish, 40-120mm, cross section of body is circular.
Field Notes: These fish were originally designated as a single species, Galaxias olidus, despite:
occupying a very wide geographic range, occupying a range of different habitats, from headwater rivulets at 1,800 metres on the flank of Australia's highest mountain (Mount Kosciuszko) to large "midland" rivers and streams (or in other words rivers and streams at the upland/lowland transition, which may be extensive in Australia), displaying a wide range of body forms and colouration.
Ongoing research is now revealing they are a species complex. In recognition of this, the mountain galaxias species complex has been referred to as Galaxias spp., although the designation Galaxias olidus will probably remain with one of the species in the complex. The mountain galaxias species complex also incorporates the barred galaxias (Galaxias fuscus) whose status as a distinct species was debated but is now confirmed. (source wikipedia)
Fishing: introduced trout have caused countless local extinctions of this fish, and they are now restricted to creeks and rivers where trout can not survive. So help a Galaxia, catch a trout.
I photographed the following in canyons in the Blue mountains.
Common Name: Mountain Galaxia
Other Names: n/a
Order: Osmeriformes
Family: Galaxiidae
Distribution: Southern Queensland around the east coast to South Australia
Habitat: Highland streams, creeks rivers and lakes
Identifying Features: Small fish, 40-120mm, cross section of body is circular.
Field Notes: These fish were originally designated as a single species, Galaxias olidus, despite:
occupying a very wide geographic range, occupying a range of different habitats, from headwater rivulets at 1,800 metres on the flank of Australia's highest mountain (Mount Kosciuszko) to large "midland" rivers and streams (or in other words rivers and streams at the upland/lowland transition, which may be extensive in Australia), displaying a wide range of body forms and colouration.
Ongoing research is now revealing they are a species complex. In recognition of this, the mountain galaxias species complex has been referred to as Galaxias spp., although the designation Galaxias olidus will probably remain with one of the species in the complex. The mountain galaxias species complex also incorporates the barred galaxias (Galaxias fuscus) whose status as a distinct species was debated but is now confirmed. (source wikipedia)
Fishing: introduced trout have caused countless local extinctions of this fish, and they are now restricted to creeks and rivers where trout can not survive. So help a Galaxia, catch a trout.
I photographed the following in canyons in the Blue mountains.
