Canterbury mudfish
Encyclopedia
The Canterbury mudfish, Neochanna burrowsius, also known as the kowaro, is a galaxiid
of the genus Neochanna
, found only across the Canterbury Plains
in New Zealand
. The first Canterbury mudfish was originally described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a sample sent to him by A. Burrows, from the North Canterbury town of Oxford.
Its length is up to 15 cm. The Canterbury mudfish has small eyes and only four or five pelvic fins, while other New Zealand Galaxids have seven fins. Although generally a plain brown color, sometimes small gold flecks can be seen.
Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System
, the Canterbury mudfish is considered to have the conservation status
of 'acutely threatened' and 'Nationally Endangered'. The Canterbury species is the second most threatened native fish in New Zealand. By 2007, it was limited to only 80 known habitats. Water shortages and the exponential expansion of agriculture are the causes of habitat loss.
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 ninety young fish were released into Travis Wetland
in the city of Christchurch
in the hope that they would become established.
Galaxiid
The Galaxiidae, also known by the anglicised name as galaxiids, are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the southern hemisphere. The majority of species live in Australia or New Zealand, some are also found in South Africa, South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia and the Falkland...
of the genus Neochanna
Neochanna
Neochanna is a genus of six mudfish species, five restricted to New Zealand, and one to Tasmania.-Species:* Brown mudfish, Neochanna apoda Günther, 1867* Canterbury mudfish, Neochanna burrowsius...
, found only across the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The first Canterbury mudfish was originally described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a sample sent to him by A. Burrows, from the North Canterbury town of Oxford.
Its length is up to 15 cm. The Canterbury mudfish has small eyes and only four or five pelvic fins, while other New Zealand Galaxids have seven fins. Although generally a plain brown color, sometimes small gold flecks can be seen.
Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System
New Zealand Threat Classification System
The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand....
, the Canterbury mudfish is considered to have the conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
of 'acutely threatened' and 'Nationally Endangered'. The Canterbury species is the second most threatened native fish in New Zealand. By 2007, it was limited to only 80 known habitats. Water shortages and the exponential expansion of agriculture are the causes of habitat loss.
A release of Canterbury mudfish has been carried out in a protected wetland near Willowby
Willowby, New Zealand
Willowby is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in Mid-Canterbury south of Ashburton, the major town of the area. Other nearby settlements include Hinds and Lynnford to the southwest, Eiffelton to the south, and Huntingdon to the...
, south of Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
, where it is hoped they will survive and reproduce. In May 2010 ninety young fish were released into Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland is an ecological restoration programme in the suburb of Burwood in Christchurch, New Zealand.It covers 116 ha of land formerly drained and used as a dairy farm...
in the city of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in the hope that they would become established.
External links
- NIWA - mudfish information
- The Canterbury Mudfish