Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Galaxiiformes (Southern smelts) >
Galaxiidae (Galaxiids) > Galaxiinae
Etymology: Galaxiella: Greek, galaxias, ou = a kind of fish, diminutive (Ref. 45335); toourtkoourt: The specific name is derived from the Australian indigenous language groups Tjapwurrung, Korn Kopan noot, and Peekwurrung, meaning 'little fish in freshwater'.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; pH range: 5.3 - 9.3; non-migratory. Tropical; 5°C - 27°C (Ref. 104902)
Oceania: southeastern mainland Australia from the upper Barwon River system near Barwon Downs, Victoria, west to the Cortina Lakes, near the Coorong, South Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 104902); 4.2 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 5 - 8; Anal soft rays: 7 - 10; Vertebrae: 34 - 38. Galaxiella toourtkoourt can be diagnosed from other congeners by following characters: caudal fin rays usually 13 (12-15); anal fin rays usually 8 (7-10); pectoral fin rays usually 12 (8-13); usually 36 (34-38) vertebrae; and 7 laterosensory pores in the preopercular-supramaxillary series. Adults very small (usually 2.06-3.06 cm SL in females; 1.67-2.40 cm SL in males); short caudal peduncle usually 19.6-21.9 % SL (17.2-23.8 % SL in females; 17.9-24.4 % SL in males); origin of dorsal fin more or less in line with anal fin (particularly females) with horizontal distance between dorsal fin and anal fin origins usually 0.0-2.7 % SL (2.5-2.8 in females; 2.6-3.9 in males). Adults possess three longitudinal black stripes (easier to discern in adult males) and reduced markings on ventral surface (typically two to three black blotches at isthmus) (Ref. 104902).
Facultative air-breathing in the genus (Ref. 126274); Occurs in swamps, wetlands, shallow lakes, billabongs, small creeks and artificial earthen
drains at low elevation (mean 100 m above sea level, typically 22-176 m above sea level). Inhabits mostly shallow areas (mean maximum depth 1.1 m, typically 0.5-2.0 m), with still to low water velocities (or often backwaters in faster flowing conditions) and partial shading (mean 27 %, typically 5-50 % surface cover). Occasionally found in inland with slightly saline waters. Water quality measurements at the time of collection indicate this species can thrive in a broad range of conditions: water temperatures 5.2-26.9 °C; dissolved oxygen levels of 20-263 % saturation; pH of 5.3-9.3; water electrical conductivity of 94-13,620 μS/cm and turbidity of 1-96 NTU . Usually collected together with other native fish species, particularly Nannoperca australis (65 % frequency), Galaxias maculatus (12 % frequency), and burrowing crayfish (e.g. Engaeus spp., Geocharax spp.) (18 % frequency). Often found with introduced fish species Gambusia holbrooki (Ref. 104902).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Coleman, R.A., A.A. Hoffmann and T.A. Raadik, 2015. A review of Galaxiella pusilla (Mack) (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) in south-eastern Australia with a description of a new species. Zootaxa 4021(2):243-281. (Ref. 104902)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00490 (0.00206 - 0.01165), b=3.12 (2.91 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
