Canterbury mudfish

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Canterbury mudfish
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Osmeriformes
Family: Galaxiidae
Subfamily: Galaxiinae
Genus: Neochanna
Species: N. burrowsius
Binomial name
Neochanna burrowsius
(Phillipps, 1926)

The Canterbury mudfish, Neochanna burrowsius, also known as the kowaro, is a galaxiid of the genus Neochanna, found only in weedy springs, drains, and irrigation races at low to mid altitudes across the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand.[1] The first Canterbury mudfish was originally described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a sample sent to him by Mr A. Burrows, from the North Canterbury town of Oxford.[2]

Its length is up to 15 cm. The Canterbury mudfish can be distinguished from the several other species of New Zealand Galaxids by the presence of four or five rays in the pelvic fins of Canterbury mudfish compared to seven in the other galaxids. They also have comparatively small eyes. Although generally a plain brown color, sometimes small gold flecks can be seen.[3]

They do not usually co-exist with other fish species, probably because they frequent habitats that are subject to drying up in summer. Like the other mudfish species, when their habitat dries up they can aestivate until the wet season arrives.

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, the Canterbury mudfish is considered to have the conservation status of 'acutely threatened' and 'Nationally Endangered'.[4]. The Canterbury species is the second most threatened native fish in New Zealand.[3] By 2007, it was limited to only 80 known habitats. Water shortages and the exponential expansion of agriculture are the causes of habitat loss.[3]

A release of Canterbury mudfish has been carried out in a protected wetland near Willowby, south of Ashburton, New Zealand, where it is hoped they will survive and reproduce.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), NIWA Atlas of New Zealand Freshwater Fishes, NIWA website, retrieved 2 March 2008.
  2. ^ Phillipps, W.J. (1926) 'New or rare fishes of New Zealand'. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 56: 529-537. cited on p 5 of O' Brien, L. K. (2006) 'Conservation ecology of Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius)', Doctoral Thesis Summary, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 2006.
  3. ^ a b c "Ugly bog-dweller" honoured in national day. New Zealand Herald, September 26, 2007. Accessed September 25, 2007.
  4. ^ New Zealand mudfish (Neochanna spp.) recovery plan (Northland, black, brown, Canterbury and Chatham mudfish). 2003. Department of Conservation Threatened Species Recovery Plan 51. 25 p.

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