Galaxias maculatus

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Family : Galaxiids ; Occurs in a wide variety of habitat , but mostly in still or slow-flowing waters, mainly in streams , rivers and lakes within a short distance of the sea . The species sometimes enters brackish streams and can survive in salinities up to 50 ppt. Feeds on aquatic and terrestrial insects, and crustaceans. Utilized fresh and eaten fried[1].

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Galaxiidae

Galaxiids occur in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, southernmost Africa, and southern South America. Freshwater ; diadromous . Caudal fin 12-14 branched rays . No scales . Lateral line present. Abdomen without horny keel. No teeth on maxillary , vomerine, palatine, and basibranchial . Paired gonads . Without cucumber odor. In Subfamily Lovettinae vertebrae 52-58, maximum length about 7.7 cm; Subfamily Aplochitoninae vertebrae 64-74, maximum length 38 cm; and, Subfamily Galaxiinae vertebrae 37-66. Freshwater galaxiids = ISSCAAP 13; diadromous galaxiids = ISSCAAP 25. CLOFFSCA The galaxiids are freshwater fishes, some of which are diadromous, that occur in cool temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, Auckland and Campbell Islands, New Caledonia, southern South America, the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, and the southern tip of South Africa (Berra, 2001). There are seven genera (Aplochiton, Brachygalaxias, Galaxias [including Nesogalaxias from New Caledonia], Galaxiella, Lovettia, Neochanna, and Paragalaxias) and about 51 species. Five new species of Galaxias were described in the last few years when it was discovered that G. vulgaris from the South Island of New Zealand was actually a species complex (Wallis et al. , 2000). Galaxiids are elongate , scaleless fishes and all lack an adipose fin except Aplochiton and Lovettia. Some species are rather stocky and tubular . Most species have seven pelvic and 16 caudal fin rays (McDowall, 1990), however there is wide variation of other elements of the caudal skeleton within and among species (McDowall, 1999). A lateral line is present. Some species may have an accessory lateral line composed of small, widely spaced neuromasts along the dorsolateral trunk from the occiput to the dorsal fin (McDowall, 1997). This accessory lateral line may function in sensing food or predators at the water's surface. The dorsal fin is situated posteriorly and more or less above the anal fin. Nelson (1994) listed three subfamilies of the Galaxiidae: Lovettiinae, Aplochitoninae, and Galaxiinae. The Lovettiinae is found only in Tasmania. The subfamily Aplochitoninae (previously considered a separate family ) is composed of two species of Aplochiton from southern South America (McDowall 1971a). The dorsal fin of Aplochiton is anteriorly positioned over the pelvic fins. An adipose fin is present, and the caudal fin is forked . Aplochiton is probably amphidromous with the larvae being carried to sea after hatching in freshwater streams. McDowall (1984b) reported a post-larval Aplochiton taken at sea in southern Chile. The Galaxiinae includes five genera and about 48 species. This subfamily is most diverse in Australia, especially Tasmania, and in New Zealand. However, representatives also occur in South America, and one species inhabits Cape coastal streams at the southern tip of South Africa (Berra, 2001). No members of the family or subfamily occur in the Northern Hemisphere in spite of Day's description of G. indicus, which McDowall (1973b) regarded as a nomen dubium . Galaxias maculatus has one of the most widely disjunct distributions of any freshwater fish (Berra et al., 1996). Galaxias maculatus occurs in eastern and western Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Chatham Island, southern Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands/Malvinas (McDowall, 1970, Berra 2001). Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain this disjunct distribution: dispersal (movement through the sea) and vicariance (continental drift ). A summary of this debate involving McDowall (1970), Rosen (1974, 1978) and others is given by Berra et al. (1996) who used allozyme electrophoresis of muscle extracts of G. maculatus from eastern and western Australia, New Zealand, and Chile to test the hypothesis that populations from the western Pacific and the eastern Pacific do not differ genetically. They found only minor differentiation in allele frequency at some loci and no fixation of alternative alleles. The populations appeared to be part of the same gene pool indicating that gene flow via dispersal through the sea occurs today. Only a small amount of gene flow is necessary to prevent accumulation of genetic differences by random drift . The marine larval stage of G. maculatus has a six-month period to traverse the distance between the southern continents (McDowall et al., 1994) and could provide enough gene flow to deter fixation for alternative alleles. A study of mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence by Waters and Burridge (1999) also supported the dispersal argument, but reported greater population differentiation than detected by Berra et al. (1996) with allozymes. Other South American galaxiids include two additional species of Galaxias and the small, colorful Brachygalaxias bullocki (McDowall, 1971b). Galaxias platei occurs in Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, and the very rare, if not extinct , G. globiceps is known from only a few specimens taken near Puerto Montt, Chile (Berra and Ruiz, 1994, Berra and Barbour, 1998). Brachygalaxias bullocki resembles Galaxiella of Australia, but whether this similarity is due to convergence or phylogeny is not clear. Waters (1996), Waters and Cambray (1997), and Waters et al. (2000) provided mtDNA data useful for phylogenetic analysis of galaxiids.The family Galaxiidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Osmeriformes. It contains 8 genera and 40 species. It may be found in Marine, Brackish , and Freshwater environments and is primarily Peripheral/diadromous. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is subcarangiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be active . This family may be found from 23° n to 55° s and 77° w to 180° e. Etymology of this family name : Greek, galax�as, -ou = a specie of fish

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,416 meters (0 to 4,646 feet).[2]

Biome: Fresh water , brackish water, saltwater . Benthopelagic.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Galaxias alpinus (Jenyns, 1842)
2. Galaxias amaenus Castelnau, 1872
3. Galaxias coppingeri G�nther, 1881
4. Galaxias cylindricus Castelnau, 1872
5. Galaxias delicatulus Castelnau, 1872
6. Galaxias krefftii G�nther, 1866
7. Galaxias maculatus ignotus Stokell, 1966
8. Galaxias minutus Philippi, 1858
9. Galaxias nebulosa Macleay, 1881
10. Galaxias obtusus Klunzinger, 1872
11. Galaxias parrishi Stokell, 1964
12. Galaxias pseudoscriba Mccoy, 1867
13. Galaxias punctatus G�nther, 1866
14. Galaxias punctulatus Philippi, 1858
15. Galaxias scriba Valenciennes, 1846
16. Galaxias usitatus Mcdowall, 1967
17. Galaxias variegatus Lahille, 1923
18. Galaxias versicolor Castelnau, 1872
19. Galaxias waterhousei Krefft, 1868
20. Galaxias waterhousei Kreft, 1868
21. Galaxias waterhousi Krefft, 1868
22. Mesites alpinus Jenyns, 1842
23. Mesites attenuatus Jenyns, 1842
24. Mesites forsteri Kner, 1867
25. Mesites gracillimus Canestrini, 1864
26. Mesites maculatus Jenyns, 1842

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Group expert : Berra T.M., Data last modified by FishBase 25-May-2000

Similar Species

Members of the genus Galaxias

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 83 species and subspecies in this genus:

G. accidentalis · G. zebratus · G. alepidotus · G. alpinus · G. anomalus · G. apcheri · G. argenteus (Giant Kokopu) · G. attenuatus · G. auratus (Golden Galaxias) · G. barberi · G. bollansi · G. brevipinnis (Short-Fin Galaxias) · G. brocchus · G. bullocki · G. burrowsius · G. campbelli · G. capensis · G. castlae · G. cobitinis · G. coppingeri · G. coxii · G. platei · G. depressiceps · G. divergens (Dwarf Galaxias) · G. eldoni · G. fasciatus (Banded Kokopu) · G. findlayi · G. fontanus (Swan Galaxias) · G. fruttaceus · G. fuscus (Barred Galaxias) · G. globiceps · G. gollumoides · G. gracilis (Dwarf Inanga) · G. gracillimus · G. platei · G. indicus · G. johnstoni (Clarence Galaxias) · G. koaro · G. kokopu · G. krefftii · G. lynx · G. macronasus · G. maculatus (Common Jollytail) · G. maculatus attenuatus · G. maculatus ignotus · G. minutus · G. nebulosa · G. neocaledonicus · G. niger · G. nigothoruk · G. obtusus · G. occidentalis (Western Galaxias) · G. ocellatus · G. olidus (Mountain Galaxias) · G. onbuis · G. pancispondylus · G. parvus (Small Pedder Galaxias) · G. paucispondylus (Alpine Galaxias) · G. pedderensis (Pedder Galaxias) · G. planiceps · G. platei · G. postuectus · G. postvectis (Shortjawed Kokopu) · G. prognathus (Upland Longjaw Galaxias) · G. pullus · G. punctatus · G. punctifer · G. rekohua (Chathams Galaxias) · G. reticulatus · G. robinsonii · G. rostratus (Flat-Headed Galaxias) · G. scriba · G. smithii · G. tanycephalus (Saddled Galaxias) · G. titcombi · G. truttaceus (Spotted Mountain Trout) · G. truttaceus hesperius · G. usitatus · G. versicolor · G. vulgaris (Common River Galaxias) · G. waterhousii · G. weedoni · G. zebratus (Cape Galaxias)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Allen, G.R. (1989). Freshwater fishes of Australia. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey.
• Archiv f�r Naturgeschichte. Berlin: Nicolai, 1835- GER url p. 365.
• Breviora. Cambridge, Mass., Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. ENG url p. 2.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) ENG url p. 219.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, ENG url p. 341, p. 406, p. 418, p. 420, p. 431, p. 92.
• Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum / by Albert G [Tokyo?]: Kagaku Kisho Hakkokai, Shwa 13 [1938]. ENG url p. 211, p. 212.
• Catalogue of the fishes in the Museum / by A. G�nther 1866 ENG url p. 211, p. 212.
• Catalogue of the fresh-water fishes of tropical and south temperate America / by C.H. Eigenmann. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1910. ENG url p. 462.
• Discovery reports. London; Cambridge University Press. ENG url p. 138, p. 143, p. 40.
• Fishery bulletin / U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service. Washington, D.C.: The Service: ENG url p. 213.
• Histoire naturelle des poissons, par M. le B.on Cuvier et par M. Valenciennes. Paris, Chez F. G. Levrault; [etc., etc.]1828-49. FRE url p. 355.
• Index faun� Nov� Zealandi�, ed. by F.W. Hutton, F.R.S. Pub. for the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, New Zealand. London, Dulau & Co., 1904. ENG url p. 15.
• Klunzinger, C.B. (1872k): Zur Fischfauna von S�d-Australien. - Archiv f�r Naturgeschichte 38(1), pp. [41]
• McDowall, R.M. (1990). Freshwater fishes and fisheries of New Zealand -The angler's el dorado. Aquat. Sci. 2(2):281-341.
• Occasional papers of the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas: The University, 1971-1994. ENG url p. 6, p. 7.
• Ontogeny and systematics of fishes: based on an international symposium dedicated to the memory of Elbert Halvor Ahlstrom / sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Dept. of Commer [New York?]: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, c1984. ENG url p. 152, p. 692.
• Peque�o, G. (1989). Peces de Chile. Lista sistematica revisada y comentada. Rev. Biol. Mar., Valparaiso 24(2):1-132.
• Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia for promoting useful knowledge. Philadelphia: The Society ENG url p. 520, p. 521.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] ENG url p. 421, p. 64, p. 91.
• Report on the scientific results of the voyage of S.Y. "Scotia" during the years 1902, 1903 and 1904, under the leadership of William S. Bruce. Edinburgh:Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory, 1907-20. ENG url p. 314, p. 372, p. 373.
• Shiino, Sueo M. 1976. List of Common Names of Fishes of the World, Those Prevailing among English-speaking Nations. Science Report of Shima Marineland, no. 4. Shima Marineland. Kashikojima, Shima, Mie, Japan. 262.
• Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe. Wien: K.-K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei in Commission bei Carl Gerold's Sohn, GER url p. 470.
• The zoology of the voyage of the H.M.S. Erebus & Terror, under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, during the years 1839 to 1843. By authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Edited by John Richardson and John Edward Gray. London, E. W. Janson, 1844-1875. ENG url p. 75.

Notes

Contributors

• Berra, Tim M. (from FishBase).
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 19, 2007.
• FishBase 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 29, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 6 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

• FishBase: FishBase DiGIR Provider - Philippine Server
• GBIF-Sweden: Fishes (NRM)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Atlantic Reference Centre (OBIS Canada)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Centro Nacional Patagonico Ichthyological Collection (OBIS South America, SOUTHERN OCEAN SUB-NODE)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity - Fish Collection (AfrOBIS)
• Museum national d'histoire naturelle: Ichtyologie
• OZCAM (Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums) Provider: Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums
• Royal Ontario Museum: Fish specimens
• SysTax
• SysTax: Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde, Stuttgart
• University of Kansas Biodiversity Research Center: Fish Collection

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2492703
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-26601
• Fishbase Species ID: 7579
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 162129
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 110908

Footnotes

1. Frimodt, C. (1995). Multilingual illustrated guide to the world's commercial coldwater fish. Fishing News Books, Osney Mead, Oxford, England. 215 p. [back]
2. Mean = -1,113.470 meters (-3,653.117 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,476.880 based on 32 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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