Alpine galaxias
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| Galaxias paucispondylus Stokell, 1938 |
The alpine river galaxias, Galaxias paucispondylus, is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in mid to high altitude streams flowing from the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It grows to a length of up to 11 cm.
Alpine galaxias are speckled olive-green over a light brown base. The single large dorsal fin is rounded, and set back two thirds of the body length, the anal fin a little further back. The caudal fin is large and slightly forked. Like all galaxiids it lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus.
Alpine galaxias have 16 caudal and 7 pelvic fin rays compared to 15 and 6, respectively, in dwarf galaxias, as the two species' habitats do overlap.
They are non-diadromous and therefore do not have a marine phase and are not part of the whitebait catch.
[edit] References
- "Galaxias paucispondylus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- NIWA June 2006
