Alpine galaxias
Alpine galaxias | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Galaxiiformes |
Family: | Galaxiidae |
Genus: | Galaxias |
Species: | G. paucispondylus
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Binomial name | |
Galaxias paucispondylus Stokell, 1938
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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.
They are non-diadromous and therefore do not have a marine phase and are not part of the whitebait catch.
References[]
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Galaxias paucispondylus" in FishBase. March 2006 version.
- NIWA June 2006
Categories:
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Galaxias
- Endemic freshwater fish of New Zealand
- Fish of the South Island
- Taxa named by Gerald Stokell
- Fish described in 1938
- Osmeriformes stubs