Kosciuszko Galaxias, Galaxias supremus Raadik 2014


Kosciuszko Galaxias, Galaxias supremus. Source: Rudie H. Kuiter / Aquatic Photographics. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
A long, slender Galaxias with a golden hue on the lower sides, the upper jaw overhanging the lower jaw, and a broad interorbital space. The species occurs in a very small area of the Mount Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Galaxias supremus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5130

Kosciuszko Galaxias, Galaxias supremus Raadik 2014

More Info


Distribution

Occurs only in the headwaters of Carruthers Creek and Blue Lake in the upper reaches of Blue Creek system, upper Snowy River on Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, at an elevation of 1,900 to 1,950 m asl.
Inhabits cold, clear waters of small flowing creeks and an on-stream lake (Blue Lake). Substrate consisted of bedrock, boulder, cobble, gravel and sand in the creeks, and cobble, pebble, gravel and silt in the lake, with fish collected from amongst rock, undercut banks and overhanging grasses in the creeks, mainly from pools. All habitats lack emergent or submerged aquatic vegetation or overhead shading.
During winter all sites are covered by snow and ice for an extended period of time. 

Colour

Overall pale brown to tan, becoming paler below the lateral line, overlain with medium to large darker, uneven blotches mostly joining together to form irregular bands, sometimes also shaded with tiny, closely packed dark grey spots; very small black bars occasionally among the blotches and spots around the mid body; gill cover pale brown with a medium sized gold patch; iris golden; upper surface between the nape and the dorsal fin sometimes with a narrow band of golden spots; diffuse gold flecks scattered on head; band of gold to coppery spots on body behind pectoral fins to the caudal peduncle mostly on rear of body below the lateral line.

Conservation

IUCN: Critically Endangered
Australian Society for Fish Biology: Critically Endangered

Similar Species


Species Citation

Galaxias supremus Raadik 2014, Zootaxa 3898(1): 135, Figs 33 & 34. Type locality: Carruthers Creek, on Main Range Track, south-east of Blue Lake, Mount Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales [36°24'37”S, 148°18'20”E]. 

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Kosciuszko Galaxias, Galaxias supremus Raadik 2014

References


Adams, M., Raadik, T.A., Burridge, C.P. & Georges, A. 2014. Global biodiversity assessment and hyper-cryptic species complexes: more than one species of elephant in the room. Systematic Biology 63(4): 518–533 (as taxon ‘KO’)  

Raadik, T.A. 2011. Systematic revision of the Mountain Galaxias, Galaxias olidus Günther, 1866 species complex (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) in eastern Australia. Ph.D thesis, University of Canberra. pp. i-xxiii, 1-493 (as taxon ‘kosciusko’) 

Raadik, T.A. 2014. Fifteen from one: a revision of the Galaxias olidus Günther, 1866 complex (Teleostei, Galaxiidae) in south-eastern Australia recognises three previously described taxa and describes 12 new species. Zootaxa 3898(1): 1-198

Raadik, T. 2019. Galaxias supremus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T122903211A123382156. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T122903211A123382156.en. Downloaded on 01 February 2020. 

Raadik, T.A. & Kuiter, R.H. 2002. Kosciuszko Galaxias: a story of confusion and imminent peril. Fishes of Sahul, Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association 16(2): 830–835 (as Galaxias sp. 1, and G. findlayi)

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37102034

Conservation:IUCN Critically Endangered

Habitat:Freshwater streams

Max Size:10 cm SL

Native:Endemic

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CAAB distribution map