From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Macquaria genus is a genus of medium-sized, predatory native fish in the Percichthyidae family. The Macquaria genus was created by merging the old genera Plectotripes and Macquaria (Murray-Darling species) and Percalates (East Coast species). Thus the Macquaria genus currently holds the two species of native perch from the Murray-Darling Basin — golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) and Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) — and the two species of catadromous native perch in East Coast river systems — Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) and estuary perch (Macquaria colonorum). Latest research using DNA comparisons suggests that Australian bass and estuary perch may belong in a separate genus, which may thus result in the resurrection of the Percalates genus.
[edit] References
- Jerry, D.R., Elphinstone, M.S and Baverstock, P.R. (2001) Phylogenetic Relationships of Australian Members of the Family Percichthyidae Inferred from Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Sequence Data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 18: 335–347
