Canterbury mudfish
| Canterbury mudfish | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | N. burrowsius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Neochanna burrowsius (Phillipps, 1926)
| |
The Canterbury mudfish, Neochanna burrowsius, also known as the kowaro, is found only on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand.[2] Like other Neochanna species, it is a small, tubular and flexible fish which lacks scales. They are able to survive out of water if its wetland habitat dries out periodically over summer, .[3]
The first Canterbury mudfish was described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a specimen sent to him by Mr A. Burrows, a farmer from Oxford, North Canterbury. They were sent to him "alive in a tin box together with a quantity of damp earth, sent by parcel-post on a journey lasting over thirty hours, and arrived alive and extremely active."[4] Although Mr Burrows reported that he had found the fish aestivating in holes in the bank, the mudfish is named after the farmer rather than burrowing behaviour.[3]: 140
Description
The Canterbury mudfish is up to 15 cm in length and it has small eyes and only four or five pelvic fins, while other New Zealand galaxids have seven fins. Although generally a plain brown colour, sometimes small gold flecks can be seen.[5]
Conservation status
In 2014 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the Canterbury mudfish as "At Risk: Nationally Critical" with the qualifier C - predicted decline >70% over ten years.[6] Also in 2014 the IUCN rated the Canterbury mudfish as "Critically endangered".[7]
The Canterbury mudfish is range restricted and sparse, and its preservation is dependent on conservation efforts.[6] Water abstraction, intensification of agriculture and changes in irrigation systems are main causes of their decline.[7]
Conservation efforts
A release of Canterbury mudfish has been carried out in a protected wetland near Willowby, south of Ashburton, New Zealand, where it is hoped they will survive and reproduce. In May 2010, 90 young fish were released into Travis Wetland in the city of Christchurch in the hope that they would become established.[8]
References
- ^ Goodman, Jane M.; et al. (2014). Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fish, 2013 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
{{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|last2=(help) - ^ Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), NIWA Atlas of New Zealand Freshwater Fishes, NIWA website, retrieved 2 March 2008.
- ^ a b McDowall, R.M. (1990). New Zealand Freshwater Fishes: A natural history and guide. Auckland: Heinemann Reed. ISBN 0 7900 0022 9.
- ^ Phillips, W.J. (1926). "New or Rare Fishes of New Zealand". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 56: 531–2. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ Booker, Jarrod (26 September 2007). "'Ugly bog-dweller' honoured in national day". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- ^ a b Goodman, J.M.; Dunn, N.R.; Ravenscroft, P.J.; Allibone, R.M.; Boubee, J.A.T.; David, B.O.; Griffiths, M.; Ling, N.; Hitchmough, R.A; Rolfe, J.R. (2014). "Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fish, 2013". New Zealand Threat Classification Series 7.
- ^ a b "Canterbury mudfish". IUCN Red List. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ Brown, Giles (5 May 2010). "Project aims to re-establish endangered mudfish in wetland". The Press.
Further reading
- Template:IUCN2006 Listed as Vulnerable (VU B1+2bcd v2.3)
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Neochanna burrowsius" in FishBase. March 2006 version.