Bloomfield River Cod, Guyu wujalwujalensis Pusey & Kennard 2001


Other Names: Tropical Nightfish

Bloomfield River Cod, Guyu wujalwujalensis. Source: Codman / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0

Summary:
The Bloomfield River Cod is a nocturnal species found only in the Bloomfield River in northern Queensland. A small, perch-like species with conspicuous pores on the head and lower jaw the Bloomfield Cod also has an iridescent green band below the eye.

Cite this page as:
Vanessa J. Thompson, Guyu wujalwujalensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3020

Bloomfield River Cod, Guyu wujalwujalensis Pusey & Kennard 2001

More Info


Distribution

Known only from Bloomfield River, northern QLD. Tropical, inhabiting a wide (30-40m) freshwater, clear flowing stream with a rocky bottom. Usually shelters under banks and amongst vegetation during the day, becoming active at night.

Features

D XI-XII, 8-9; A III, 7-9; P 13-14; V I, 5; C 17; GR on 1st arch 13-14 

Body sub-ovate and moderately deep, depth increasing with increas-ing size; greatest body depth 27.6-34.9% SL; head moderately large with upper and lower jaws equivalently sized forming a slightly oblique cleft; jaws not reaching back past anterior margin of eye; head profile only slightly concave, straight in specimens less than 70 m SL; snout tapered; eye large, positioned in front half of head; cheek and snout with a series of large, conspicuous pores; jaws, vomer and pharyngeals with villiform teeth.

Scales principally ctenoid; small on preoperculum, predorsal area of body and ventral surface anterior to pelvic fins, elsewhere large; head without scales, except preoperculum and operculum; vertical scale rows 37-43; horizontal scale rows 20-26; lateral line scales 37-43.

Single dorsal fin; posterior part of dorsal fin, anal, pectoral and caudal fins rounded; ventral fin inserted well behind pectoral fin base, level with 3rd dorsal spine.

Size

To around 10 cm SL.

Colour

Colour varies from light khaki green dorsally and silver white ventrally to dark green dorsally and khaki green ventrally or entirely dark green. Head region greenish yellow with a darker green bar running from snout to front of eye and a dark green bar running below eye from front margin of eye back to opercular margin. A wide oblique iridescent light green band running from just below and behind eye to opercular margin at point of insertion of lower spine present on fish above 55 mm. SL. A similar iridescence present on lower opercular margin and pectoral fin base. Margins of spinose sections of dorsal and anal fins darkly pigmented.

Feeding

Microphagous carnivore feeding mainly on aquatic insect larvae.

Biology

Little is known of the reproductive biology of this species but sexual maturity is attained around 5cm SL.

Conservation

Currently not listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Not listed under the Australian EPBC Act.

Remarks

This species was only recently described and is locally common in the Bloomfield River.

Similar Species

G. wujalwujalensis is most similar to Bostockia porosa from south-western Australia but differs in having a more pointed snout and in colouration.

Etymology

Generic name is derived from the Kuku-yalangi word Kuyu meaning freshwater fish. The species name wujalwujalensis is from Wujal wujal, a traditional name for the area in which it occurs.

Species Citation

Guyu wujalwujalensis  Pusey, B.J. & Kennard, M.J. (2001). Guyu wujalwujalensis, a new genus and species (Pisces: Percichthyidae) from north-eastern Queensland, Australia.  Ichthyol. Explor. Freshw. 12(1): 17–28 [20, figs. 2-6]. Bloomfield River, QLD [15°58'42"S, 145°17'18"E].

Author

Vanessa J. Thompson

Bloomfield River Cod, Guyu wujalwujalensis Pusey & Kennard 2001

References


Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. (2002). Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Australia.  Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [194].

Pussy, B.J. & M. J. Kennard, (1994). The freshwater fish fauna of the Wet Tropics Region of northern Queensland. Final report to the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

Pusey B., Kennard M. & Arthington A. (2004) Freshwater Fishes of North-Eastern Australia. CSIRO Publishing Collingwood, Victoria. 684 pp.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37311183

Habitat:freshwater

Max Size:10 cm

Native:endemic

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