Native
freshwater
invertebrate
species list

Native Galaxias fish

Kokopu, Inanga & Koaro

Native freshwater fish

Bully Lamprey Torrentfish Eel

Native
freshwater
crayfish
(koura)

Qualifiers for New Zealand threat classifications

New Zealand's freshwater fish fauna is sparse with 41 native species in 9 families, but unique with more than half of the fauna diadromus, and the predominance of 24 species of Galaxias and Neochanna genera in the Galaxiidae family. Five of the Galaxiids are amphidromus, growing from lavae washed out to sea in the autumn, and returning to estuaries as whitebait in spring, when some become familiar to many people in whitebait fritters, a culinary delight.  All except five species of the whole fauna are endemic, many have a limited range, and the grayling is extinct.

Order Anguilliformes

Anguillidae (eel)

 Longfin eel  Anguilla dieffenbachii [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline HI

 Shortfin eel Anguilla australis

 Spotted eel (Australian longfinned eel) Anguilla reinhardtii

Order Mugiliformes

Mugilidae (mullet)

 Yelloweyed mullet Aldrichetta forsteri

 Grey mullet (Striped mullet) Mugil cephalus Least concern

Order Osmeriformes

Galaxiidae (Galaxias, mudfish)

 Alpine galaxias  Galaxias paucispondylus [endemic]

 Banded kokopu  Galaxias fasciatus [endemic]

 Bignose galaxias  Galaxias macronasus [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline DP

 Black mudfish Neochanna diversus [endemic]
      Data deficient [5] Gradual decline HI

 Brown mudfish Neochanna apoda [endemic]
      Vulnerable A2ce [5] Gradual decline HI

 Canterbury galaxias (Common river galaxias)  Galaxias vulgaris
      [endemic]

 Canterbury mudfish  Neochanna burrowsius [endemic]
      Vulnerable B1+2bcd [2] Nationally endangered HI

 Chatham mudfish Neochanna rekohua [endemic]
      Vulnerable D2 [7] Range restricted DP

 Dune lakes galaxias  Galaxias sp. [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [3] Nationally vulnerable CD,HI

 Dusky galaxias Galaxias pullus [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline CD,HI

 Dwarf galaxias  Galaxias divergens [endemic]
      Vulnerable B1+2bcd [5] Gradual decline DP,HI

 Dwarf inanga  Galaxias gracilis [endemic]
      Vulnerable A1ce, B1+2cd, D2 [4] Serious decline CD

 Eldons galaxias  Galaxias eldoni [endemic]
      [3] Nationally vulnerable CD,HI

 Flathead galaxias  Galaxias depressiceps [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline HI

 Giant kokopu  Galaxias argenteus [endemic]
      Vulnerable C2a [5] Gradual decline DP,HI

 Gollum galaxias  Galaxias gollumoides [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline HI

 Inanga (Common galaxias)  Galaxias maculatus

 Koaro (Climbing galaxias or short-fin galaxias)
      Galaxias brevipinnis

 Lower Shag galaxias  Galaxias 'sp. E' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [8] Data deficient

 Lowland longjaw galaxias  Galaxias cobitinis [endemic]
      [1] Nationally critical EF,HI

 Northland mudfish (Burgundy mudfish)  Neochanna heleios
      [endemic] [2] Nationally endangered DP,HI

 Roundhead galaxias  Galaxias anomalus [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline EF,HI

 Shortjaw kokopu  Galaxias postvectis [endemic]
      Vulnerable B1+2bcd [6] Sparse HI

 Upland longjaw galaxias  Galaxias prognathus [endemic]
      [5] Gradual decline DP

 Unamed possible new non-diadromous galaxias
      Galaxias 'Teviot' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [3] Nationally vulnerable HI

2005 New Zealand Threat Classification System listings are shown in teal.

Image above: Koaro Galaxias brevipinnis
Photo Stephen Moore Crown Copyright © Department of Conservation

See more on galaxias fish  Native freshwater invertebrate species list

Galaxiidae (Galaxias) ... continued

 Unamed possible new non-diadromous galaxias
      Galaxias 'Northern sp.' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [7] Range restricted DP,HI

 Unamed possible new non-diadromous galaxias
      Galaxias 'Southern sp.' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [5] Gradual decline HI

 Unamed possible new non-diadromous galaxias
      Galaxias 'sp. D' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [5] Gradual decline HI

 Unamed possible new non-diadromous galaxias
      Galaxias 'Von sp.' [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [8] Data deficient HI

Prototroctidae

 Grayling  Prototroctes oxyrhynchus [endemic] Extinct

Retropinnidae

 Common smelt  Retropinna retropinna [endemic]

 Stokells smelt  Stokellia anisodon [endemic] [7] Range restricted

Order Perciformes

Eleotridae (bullies)

 Bluegill bully Gobiomorphus hubbsi  [endemic]

 Common bully Gobiomorphus cotidianus [endemic]

 Crans bully Gobiomorphus basalis  [endemic]

 Giant bully Gobiomorphus gobioides  [endemic]

 Redfin bully Gobiomorphus huttoni  [endemic]

 Tarndale bully Gobiomorphus alpinus [endemic]
      Vulnerable D2 [7] Range restricted

 Upland bully Gobiomorphus breviceps [endemic]

 Unamed possible new non-migratory bully
      Gobiomorphus sp. aff. basalis [endemic]
      Taxonomically indeterminate [8] Data deficient

Pinguipedidae

 Torrentfish  Cheimarrichthys fosteri [endemic]

Tripterygiidae

 Cockabully (estuarine triplefin) Grahamina nigripenne

Order Petromyzontiformes

Geotriidae

 Lamprey  Geotria australis [6] Sparse DP,SO

Order Pleuronectiformes

Pleuronectidae

 Black flounder  Rhombosolea retiaria [endemic]