Northland mudfish
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| Northland mudfish | ||||||||||||||||
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| Neochanna heleios Ling & Gleeson, 2001 |
The Northland mudfish, Neochanna heleios, is a galaxiid of the genus Neochanna, found only in swampy locations west of the Bay of Islands in Northland, New Zealand. Its length is up to 134 mm.
The Northland mudfish is similar to the other New Zealand mudfishes but it can be distinguished from the other mudfish species by having only 13 or fewer caudal fin rays whereas the other mudfish usually have 14 or more. The body also has a distinct reddish tinge, particularly on the fins. The jaw extends to the posterior margin of the eye, the eye is small, and the head displays a dorsal bulbous swelling behind the eye, particularly in large individuals.
It inhabits swampy areas that dry out for part of each year, at which time it aestivates in damp areas or under tree roots and logs. The distribution pattern of the black mudfish overlaps that of the Northland mudfish, but the two species have never been caught together.
[edit] References
- "Neochanna heleios". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- NIWA June 2006
- Royal Society of NZ
