Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias, Galaxiella nigrostriata (Shipway 1953)

Other Names: Black Stripe Minnow, Black-striped Jollytail, Black-striped Minnow, Dwarf Minnow, Galaxias, Striped Galaxias

Summary:

A tiny dark olive-brown to paler greyish-brown galaxias with a bright yellow to reddish mid-lateral stripe bounded by narrow black stripes above and below, and a silvery-white belly.

The Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias inhabits coastal wetlands of south-west Western Australia. During summer when ephemeral pools dry out, individuals burrow into the moist soil below to aestivate until the rains return in autumn.

Video of Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2020, Galaxiella nigrostriata in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2130

Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias, Galaxiella nigrostriata (Shipway 1953)

More Info

Distribution	Endemic to seasonally dry coastal wetlands of south-west Western Australia, from about Albany to Augusta, with small populations near Bunbury and north of Perth. Inhabits permanent or ephemeral spring-fed headwater streams, ponds, roadside ditches and small creeks in sandy wetland areas with thick vegetation. Also occurs in the shallow areas of some freshwater lakes with thick vegetation. The water is usually highly tannin-stained and acidic (pH 4.5-6.5).
Features	Dorsal fin 7-9 (usually 8-9); Anal fin 10-15 (usually 11-12); Pectoral fin 11-14 (usually 12); Pelvic fin 5; Gill rakers (all rudimentary) 14-17. Body elongate, slender, depth at vent 13.5-18.5% SL; head length about 1/5 of SL; snout broad, jaws equal, mouth cleft narrow. Scales absent. A low membranous fold present along caudal peduncle almost to dorsal and anal rays; dorsal fin origin behind level of anal fin; caudal fin rounded.
Size	To 5 cm SL, commonly to 3.5 cm.
Colour	For most of the year, Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias are a uniform brown to bluish-black overall with faint stripes. During the breeding season, they are become greyish-brown to tan above with a whitish belly and two distinctive black stripes separated by a yellow, gold or reddish stripe extending from the eye to the caudal peduncle. These stripes are most prominent in breeding males.
Feeding	Feeds on small insects, aquatic insect larvae and microcrustaceans.
Biology	The sexes are separate and fertilisation is external. The entire life cycle is completed in freshwater, and breeding occurs from June to September with a peak between August and September. Females spawn multiple times depositing several clutches of eggs in flooded vegetation over several weeks.
Conservation	EPBC Act 1999 : Vulnerable IUCN Red List : Near Threatened Western Australian Government (Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (WCA Act 1950): Endangered The Blackstriped Galaxias has undergone severe population losses due to the impacts of climate change on the environments of southwestern Australia (Ogston et al. 2016).
Remarks	Research has showed that populations of Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias are not only genetically divergent, but some are morphologically distinct (Galeotti et al. 2014).
Species Citation	Galaxias pusillus nigrostriatus Shipway 1953, West. Aust. Nat. 3(8): 175, fig. Type locality: Drain running into Marbellup Creek, Elleker near Albany, Western Australia.
Author	Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2020
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Blackstriped Dwarf Galaxias, Galaxiella nigrostriata (Shipway 1953)

References

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