Family Galaxiidae - Galaxiids
  Order
:
Galaxiidae
  Class
:
Teleostei
No. in FishBase
:
Genera : 7 | Species : 66 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
  Environment
:
Fresh : Yes | Brackish : Yes | Marine : Yes
  Division
:
Peripheral/diadromous
  Aquarium
:
none
  First Fossil Record
:
     
  Remark
:
Distribution: Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, southernmost Africa, and southern South America. Environment: Freshwater; diadromous. Morphology: Distinguished by the following set of characters: small to medium sized (3.9-58.0 cm); body elongate and generally cylindrical to laterally compressed, no scales; primary trunk lateral line as a series of closely-spaced superficial neuromasts within a mid-lateral crease, the accessory lateral line in some species as a bilateral linear series of superficial, widely-space neuromasts along the dorso-lateral trunk; head with laterosensory pores and cutaneous sensory papillae; nostrils are well developed, anterior one set in a small depression and tubular, posterior one a simple aperture; maxilla is usually partly included in gape but toothless (excluded in Lovettia); teeth usually conical, uniserial on premaxilla and dentary uniserial; mesopterygoidal, basihyal and pharyngeal teeth are developed (reduced or absent in Neochanna); vomer shafted but toothless, palatine toothless; enlarged laterally opposing canine teeth in many species; sexes usually similar; both gonads arewell developed, though left sometimes larger than right, urogenital aperture generally on a papilla in a post-anal depression (protruding in Lovettia); all fins lack spines; dorsal fin originates either above and slightly posterior to pelvic fin base (Aplochitoninae) or well back on trunk above, slightly forward or behind vent, 5-19 segmented fin rays; anal fin originates well back on trunk, behind vent, 6-19 segmented fin rays; caudal fin emarginate to truncate, less often forked or rounded, 11-19 principal rays, usually 16 (14 branched); pectoral fins are inserted just posterior to head, most anterior extent of fin base usually below ventral margin of eye (except in Brachygalaxias and Galaxiella), 9-18 segmented fin rays; pelvic fins abdominal, occasionally absent, 4-9 segmented rays, usually 6-7; procurrent rays are usually moderately developed along caudal peduncle, also anterior to dorsal and anal fins; adipose fin generally absent (except in Aplochitoninae); pyloric caecae 0-6, usually 0-2; vertebrae 36-73; gill rakers (on first arch) 6-21 (Ref. 98815). In Subfamily Lovettinae vertebrae 52-58, maximum length about 7.7 cm; Subfamily Aplochitoninae vertebrae 64-74, maximum length 38 cm; and, Subfamily Galaxiinae vertebrae 37-66. Freshwater galaxiids = ISSCAAP 13; diadromous galaxiids = ISSCAAP 25. CLOFFSCA The galaxiids are freshwater fishes, some of which are diadromous, that occur in cool temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, Auckland and Campbell Islands, New Caledonia, southern South America, the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, and the southern tip of South Africa (Berra, 2001). There are seven genera (Aplochiton, Brachygalaxias, Galaxias [including Nesogalaxias from New Caledonia], Galaxiella, Lovettia, Neochanna, and Paragalaxias) and about 51 species. Five new species of Galaxias were described in the last few years when it was discovered that G. vulgaris from the South Island of New Zealand was actually a species complex (Wallis et al., 2000). Galaxiids are elongate, scaleless fishes and all lack an adipose fin except Aplochiton and Lovettia. Some species are rather stocky and tubular. Most species have seven pelvic and 16 caudal fin rays (McDowall, 1990), however there is wide variation of other elements of the caudal skeleton within and among species (McDowall, 1999). A lateral line is present. Some species may have an accessory lateral line composed of small, widely spaced neuromasts along the dorsolateral trunk from the occiput to the dorsal fin (McDowall, 1997). This accessory lateral line may function in sensing food or predators at the water's surface. The dorsal fin is situated posteriorly and more or less above the anal fin. Nelson (1994) listed three subfamilies of the Galaxiidae: Lovettiinae, Aplochitoninae, and Galaxiinae. The Lovettiinae is found only in Tasmania. The subfamily Aplochitoninae (previously considered a separate family) is composed of two species of Aplochiton from southern South America (McDowall 1971a). The dorsal fin of Aplochiton is anteriorly positioned over the pelvic fins. An adipose fin is present, and the caudal fin is forked. Aplochiton is probably amphidromous with the larvae being carried to sea after hatching in freshwater streams. McDowall (1984b) reported a post-larval Aplochiton taken at sea in southern Chile. The Galaxiinae includes five genera and about 48 species. This subfamily is most diverse in Australia, especially Tasmania, and in New Zealand. However, representatives also occur in South America, and one species inhabits Cape coastal streams at the southern tip of South Africa (Berra, 2001). No members of the family or subfamily occur in the Northern Hemisphere in spite of Day's description of G. indicus, which McDowall (1973b) regarded as a nomen dubium. Galaxias maculatus has one of the most widely disjunct distributions of any freshwater fish (Berra et al., 1996). Galaxias maculatus occurs in eastern and western Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Chatham Island, southern Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands/Malvinas (McDowall, 1970, Berra 2001). Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain this disjunct distribution: dispersal (movement through the sea) and vicariance (continental drift). A summary of this debate involving McDowall (1970), Rosen (1974, 1978) and others is given by Berra et al. (1996) who used allozyme electrophoresis of muscle extracts of G. maculatus from eastern and western Australia, New Zealand, and Chile to test the hypothesis that populations from the western Pacific and the eastern Pacific do not differ genetically. They found only minor differentiation in allele frequency at some loci and no fixation of alternative alleles. The populations appeared to be part of the same gene pool indicating that gene flow via dispersal through the sea occurs today. Only a small amount of gene flow is necessary to prevent accumulation of genetic differences by random drift. The marine larval stage of G. maculatus has a six-month period to traverse the distance between the southern continents (McDowall et al., 1994) and could provide enough gene flow to deter fixation for alternative alleles. A study of mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence by Waters and Burridge (1999) also supported the dispersal argument, but reported greater population differentiation than detected by Berra et al. (1996) with allozymes. Other South American galaxiids include two additional species of Galaxias and the small, colorful Brachygalaxias bullocki (McDowall, 1971b). Galaxias platei occurs in Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, and the very rare, if not extinct, G. globiceps is known from only a few specimens taken near Puerto Montt, Chile (Berra and Ruiz, 1994, Berra and Barbour, 1998). Brachygalaxias bullocki resembles Galaxiella of Australia, but whether this similarity is due to convergence or phylogeny is not clear. Waters (1996), Waters and Cambray (1997), and Waters et al. (2000) provided mtDNA data useful for phylogenetic analysis of galaxiids.
  Etymology
:
Greek, galaxías, -ou = a specie of fish ( Ref. 45335).
  Reproductive guild
:
nonguarders
  Typical activity level
:
active
  Main Ref.
:
  Coordinator
:
  Deep Fin Classification
:
Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Protacanthopterygii | | | | | | | | | Galaxiiformes | | | Galaxiidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

 
Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]
Glossary
[ e.g. cephalopods]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Galaxiidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Galaxiinae
Galaxias truttaceus Valenciennes, 1846
acceptedseniororiginal
Esox truttaceus Cuvier, 1816
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
Galaxias ocellatus McCoy, 1867
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias scopus Scott, 1936
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias argenteus (Gmelin, 1789)
acceptedseniornew
Esox argenteus Gmelin, 1789
synonymseniororiginal
Esox alepidotus Forster, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias alepidotus (Forster, 1801)
synonymjuniornew
Galaxias forsteri Valenciennes, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias grandis Haast, 1873
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias kokopu Clarke, 1899
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias reticulatus Richardson, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias brocchus Richardson, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842)
acceptedseniornew
Mesites maculatus Jenyns, 1842
synonymseniororiginal
Mesites alpinus Jenyns, 1842
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias alpinus (Jenyns, 1842)
synonymjuniornew
Mesites attenuatus Jenyns, 1842
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias attenuatus (Jenyns, 1842)
synonymjuniornew
Galaxias scriba Valenciennes, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias minutus Philippi, 1858
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias punctulatus Philippi, 1858
synonymjuniororiginal
Mesites gracillimus Canestrini, 1864
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias krefftii Günther, 1866
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias punctatus Günther, 1866
synonymjuniororiginal
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
Mesites forsteri (Kner, 1867)
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias waterhousi Krefft, 1868
synonymjuniororiginal
! Galaxias waterhousei Krefft, 1868
synonymjuniororiginal
! Galaxias waterhousei Kreft, 1868
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias cylindricus Castelnau, 1872
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias versicolor Castelnau, 1872
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias delicatulus Castelnau, 1872
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias amaenus Castelnau, 1872
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias obtusus Klunzinger, 1872
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias coppingeri Günther, 1881
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias nebulosa Macleay, 1881
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias variegatus Lahille, 1923
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias parrishi Stokell, 1964
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias usitatus McDowall, 1967
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias zebratus (Castelnau, 1861)
acceptedseniornew
Cobitis zebrata Castelnau, 1861
synonymseniororiginal
Agalaxis zebratus (Castelnau, 1861)
synonymseniornew
Paragalaxias zebratus (Castelnau, 1861)
synonymseniornew
Cobitis punctifer Castelnau, 1861
synonymjuniororiginal
Agalaxis punctifer (Castelnau, 1861)
synonymjuniornew
Galaxias punctifer (Castelnau, 1861)
synonymjuniornew
Galaxias capensis Steindachner, 1894
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias africanus Weber, 1896
synonymotheroriginal
Galaxias dubius Gilchrist & Thompson, 1917
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias brevipinnis Günther, 1866
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias coxii Macleay, 1880
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias campbellii Sauvage, 1880
synonymjuniororiginal
! Galaxias campbelli Sauvage, 1880
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias weedoni Johnston, 1883
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias atkinsoni Johnston, 1883
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias lynx Hutton, 1896
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias robinsonii Clarke, 1899
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias bollansi Hutton, 1902
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias huttoni Regan, 1906
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias affinis Regan, 1906
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias parkeri Scott, 1936
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias castleae Whitley & Phillipps, 1939
synonymjuniororiginal
! Galaxias castlae Whitley & Phillipps, 1939
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias koaro Phillipps, 1940
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias olidus Günther, 1866
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias bongbong Macleay, 1881
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias findlayi Macleay, 1882
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias kayi Ramsay & Ogilby, 1886
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias oconnori Ogilby, 1912
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias olidus (non Günther, 1866)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Galaxias fuscus (non Mack, 1936)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Galaxias rostratus Klunzinger, 1872
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias planiceps Macleay, 1881
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias waitii Regan, 1906
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias ornatus Castelnau, 1873
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias olidus (non Günther, 1866)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Galaxias auratus Johnston, 1883
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias platei Steindachner, 1898
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias delfini Philippi, 1895
ambiguousotheroriginal
Galaxias grandis Philippi, 1895
ambiguousotheroriginal
Galaxias titcombi Evermann & Kendall, 1906
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias smithii Regan, 1906
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias postvectis Clarke, 1899
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias charlottae Whitley & Phillipps, 1939
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias neocaledonicus Weber & de Beaufort, 1913
acceptedseniororiginal
Nesogalaxias neocaledonicus (Weber & de Beaufort, 1913)
synonymseniornew
Galaxias globiceps Eigenmann, 1928
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias fuscus Mack, 1936
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniorchange in rank
Galaxias johnstoni Scott, 1936
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias prognathus Stokell, 1940
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias vulgaris Stokell, 1949
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias anomalus Stokell, 1959
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias divergens Stokell, 1959
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias gracilis McDowall, 1967
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias parvus Frankenberg, 1968
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias pedderensis Frankenberg, 1968
acceptedseniororiginal
! Galaxias pederensis Frankenberg, 1968
synonymseniororiginal
Galaxias fontanus Fulton, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias niger Andrews, 1985
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias depressiceps McDowall & Wallis, 1996
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias eldoni McDowall, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias pullus McDowall, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias gollumoides McDowall & Chadderton, 1999
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias cobitinis McDowall & Waters, 2002
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias macronasus McDowall & Waters, 2003
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias olidus (non Günther, 1866)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Galaxias arcanus Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias olidus (non Günther, 1866)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias mcdowalli Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias mungadhan Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias oliros Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias supremus Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias tantangara Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxias terenasus Raadik, 2014
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxiella pusilla (Mack, 1936)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxiella nigrostriata (Shipway, 1953)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniornew
Galaxiella munda McDowall, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
Galaxiella toourtkoourt Coleman & Raadik, 2015
acceptedseniororiginal
Neochanna apoda Günther, 1867
acceptedseniororiginal
Neochanna burrowsius (Phillipps, 1926)
acceptedseniornew
Galaxias burrowsius Phillipps, 1926
synonymseniororiginal
Galaxias burrowsius (Phillipps, 1926)
synonymseniornew
! Neochanna burroswius (Phillipps, 1926)
synonymseniornew
Neochanna cleaveri (Scott, 1934)
acceptedseniornew
Galaxias cleaveri Scott, 1934
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Galaxias upcheri Scott, 1942
synonymjuniororiginal
Neochanna diversus Stokell, 1949
acceptedseniororiginal
Neochanna rekohua (Mitchell, 1995)
acceptedseniornew
Galaxias rekohua Mitchell, 1995
synonymseniororiginal
Neochanna heleios Ling & Gleeson, 2001
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
Galaxias bullocki Regan, 1908
synonymseniororiginal
Brachygalaxias gothei (non Busse, 1983)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Paragalaxias eleotroides McDowall & Fulton, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
Paragalaxias julianus McDowall & Fulton, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
Paragalaxias mesotes McDowall & Fulton, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
Aplochitoninae
Aplochiton zebra Jenyns, 1842
acceptedseniororiginal
Farionella gayi Valenciennes, 1850
synonymjuniororiginal
Farionella fasciata Philippi, 1858
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Aplochiton marinus (non Eigenmann, 1928)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Aplochiton marinus Eigenmann, 1928
acceptedseniororiginal
Lovettia sealii (Johnston, 1883)
acceptedseniornew
Haplochiton sealii Johnston, 1883
synonymseniororiginal
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