Flathead galaxias (Australia)
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| Galaxias rostratus Klunzinger, 1872 |
The flathead galaxias, Galaxias rostratus, is a freshwater fish found in lowland rivers and streams and associated billabongs, backwaters, etc of the southern Murray-Darling river system in Australia.
Flathead galaxias continue a pattern found in Murray-Darling native fish of speciation into upland and lowland habitats. Flathead galaxias are found in lowland habitats while the Mountain Galaxias species complex, containing at least seven species of Galaxias (research is ongoing) are found in upland habitats as well as "midland" or upland/lowland transitional habitats.
There are serious concerns for flathead galaxias. They along with a number of other small native forage fish are quietly disappearing from vast tracts of the Murray-Darling basin. Along with river regulation, destruction of water clarity and submergent macrophytes ("water weed") by exotic, illegally introduced Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) appears to be having a devastating effect on this species. It appears many or all of the small native forage fish of the southern Murray-Darling system used these weeds beds for shelter, feeding and spawning sites.
[edit] References
- Wager (1996). Galaxias rostratus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1c v2.3)
- Galaxias rostratus (TSN 623467). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 11 March 2006.
- "Galaxias rostratus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 10 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
