Black Galaxias, Galaxias niger Andrews 1985

Known only from Reservoir Lakes, southern Tasmania; temperate. Adults inhabit deeper, shady areas of the Lake while juveniles shoal in the shallows around the edges.

Meristic features: Dorsal fin 9; Anal fin 10; Pectoral fin 14-15; Pelvic fin 7.

Body stout, flattened anteriorly; head large and wide, flat to slightly concave between the orbits; snout blunt and rounded; jaws long, lower shorter than the upper; angle of jaws extending posteriorly to beneath middle of eye; two well developed pyloric caeca present; jaw teeth small, enlarged canine teeth absent; single row of about 8 teeth on the inner borders of each mesopterygoid, lingual teeth large; gill rakers thin and widely spaced.

Scales absent.

Paired and vertical fins small; pectorals almost circular; anal fin insertion beneath the first third of the dorsal base; caudal fin only slightly emarginate.

To around 11 cm SL.

Uniform deep olive brown with numerous large irregular dark brown blocks and bars extending down sides. Fins dark translucent brown.

Lifecycle is completed in freshwater. Spawning likely to occur in late winter to early spring.

Species is named niger from the Latin meaning black in reference to the heavy pigmentation.

Galaxias niger Andrews, 1985, Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 119: 56, Pl 1. Type locality: Reservoir Lakes, southern Tasmania.

Martin F. Gomon