Fauna
Species

Common Galaxias

Galaxias maculatus

Also known as Inanga, Common Jollytail, Puye, Spotted Minnow

Common galaxias are slender, scaleless fish renowned for having one of the widest natural distributions among freshwater vertebrates, spanning southern South America, southeastern Australia, and New Zealand. They execute an amphidromous lifecycle, migrating downstream on late-summer spring tides to lay millions of amber eggs high in flooded bankside grasses where they develop in humid air until the next cycle of flood tides. Returning spring juveniles form vast coastal migrations known as whitebait, driving critical food webs as they swim inland to mature in tranquil lowland rivers, drains, and wetlands.

MigratoryFreshwaterSchooling
Common Galaxias reference1 / 7
(c) Shaun Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyChironomid Midge Larvae, Mayfly Nymphs, Water Fleas
Predators
  • Shortfin Eel
  • Pied Cormorant
  • Brown Trout
ThreatsDestruction of bankside spawning vegetation, wetland drainage, river barriers, and predatory introduced trout
HabitatsLowland streams, coastal rivers, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and open coastal waters
Life span1–3 years
Classification
  1. FamilyGalaxiidae
  2. SpeciesGalaxias maculatus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Spotting: Look for schools hovering mid-water in slow, sunlit coastal pools and tidal river margins.
  • Bankside care: Avoid trampling lush grasses and reeds along tidal riverbanks, where deposited eggs incubate above water.
Related species
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