NATIVE

Common Name Mountain (Ornate mountain galaxias) Declining

Scientific Name Günther, 1866 Photo: Gunther Schmida

Identification riffles. They occur at a variety of altitudes A small, elongate, tubular . Maximum within the Murray-Darling Basin, and are the size 140 mm; average 70–80 mm. The body only native fish that is found in the alpine patterning is variable, with stripes, blotches zone above the snowline during winter. or no markings present. The back is usually Individuals mature at the end of their first brownish to yellowish-green, and the belly is year or in their second year. Spawning occurs olive to silvery white. Scales are absent, the mainly in spring and early summer although tail is truncate to weakly forked, and the anal a small proportion of fish may in fin originates at or behind the middle of the autumn. Between 50 and 400 eggs are laid on dorsal fin. the underside of stones at the head of pools The Mountain galaxias is quite a variable and in riffles. Eggs are approximately 2.5 mm small fish, with several former species of in diameter and hatch in about three weeks. Galaxias subsumed into Galaxias olidus in Larvae are about 10 mm long at hatching. the early 1980s. However, it is likely that The species is thought not to migrate, and to some of these species may be reinstated in the have a relatively small home range of around near future, and new ones, such as the Riffle 19 m. It has been recorded basking on damp galaxias and Obscure galaxias, described. rocks in alpine areas. The diet consists mainly of aquatic larvae, but terrestrial Biology and Habitat that fall onto the water from overhanging Mountain galaxias are found in a variety of vegetation may form a substantial part of the habitats from small creeks to large rivers. diet. They are often observed in schools in slower flowing or pool habitats, but in situations Distribution and Abundance where are abundant they may be Mountain galaxias are widely distributed restricted to very shallow edge habitats or throughout south-eastern , from

44 of the Murray-Darling Basin An introductory guide 45 ID Valley 1 Avoca 2 Border Rivers 3 Broken 4 campaspe 5 castlereagh 6 central Murray 7 condamine 8 darling 9 goulburn 10 gwydir 11 Kiewa 12 Lachlan 13 Loddon 14 Lower Murray 15 Macquarie 16 Mitta Mitta 17 Murrumbidgee 18 namoi 19 ovens 20 Paroo 21 upper Murray 22 Warrego 23 Wimmera

southern Qld through to SA. They are not Infection with the alien parasitic copepod restricted to the mountains, being found Lernaea has been shown to cause significant in lowland habitats as well. However, other mortality. galaxiids such as the are more abundant and widespread in lowland General References rivers in the Basin. Berra 1973; Bond 2004; Cadwallader et al. As with other galaxiid species, where trout are 1980; Green 1979; Lintermans 2000, 2002; present the abundance of Mountain galaxias McDowall 2006; McDowall & Fulton 1996; is greatly reduced in lowland streams and O’Connor & Koehn 1991; Raadik 2001. eliminated from many upland streams. In such situations galaxiids are only found above waterfalls or swamps that prevent trout access. An experiment to remove Rainbow trout from a section of Lees Creek in the ACT has resulted in the recolonisation by galaxiids of the trout-free section of stream.

Potential Threats Continued spread of alien species, particularly trout, threatens local galaxiid populations. The effects of the —which have been transferred to inland waters via the Snowy Mountains Scheme—on natural galaxiid populations is unknown, but competition or displacement is possible.

44 Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin An introductory guide 45 Published by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Postal address: GPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601 Office location: Level 3, 51 Allara Street, Canberra City ACT Telephone: (02) 6279 0100, international + 61 2 6279 0100 Facsimile: (02) 6248 8053, international + 61 2 6248 8053 Email: [email protected] Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au For further information contact the Murray-Darling Basin Commission office on (02) 6279 0100 This fish fact sheet is an extract derived from the report: Lintermans, M. 2007, Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin: An introductory guide. MDBC Publication No. 10/07 ISBN 1 921257 20 2 © Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2007 This work is copyright. Graphical and textual information in the work (with the exception of photographs, artwork and the MDBC logo) may be stored, retrieved and reproduced in whole or in part provided the information is not sold or used for commercial benefit and its source (Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin) is acknowledged. Such reproduction includes fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction for other purposes is prohibited without the permission of the Murray- Darling Basin Commission or the individual photographers and artists with whom copyright applies. To extent permitted by law, the copyright holders (including its employees and consultants) exclude all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this report (in part or whole) and any information or material contained in it.

ii Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin