Cape galaxias
| Cape galaxias | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Osmeriformes |
| Family: | Galaxiidae |
| Subfamily: | Galaxiinae |
| Genus: | Galaxias |
| Species: | G. zebratus |
| Binomial name | |
| Galaxias zebratus (Castelnau, 1861)[1] |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cobitis punctifer Castelnau, 1861 |
|
The Cape galaxias (Afrikaans: Kaapse galaxia),[2]Galaxias zebratus, is a South African freshwater fish of the Galaxiidae family.
It is a small fish, rarely larger than 6 cm, that inhabits clear streams, rivers and ponds. It shares the same habitat as imported trout and bass species and has been identified as prey.[3] The numbers of this relatively delicate fish have declined around Cape Town. Although in South Africa it is only classified as near threatened, in Australia species of the same genus were driven to extinction by competing salmonids and other introduced species of fish.[4]
Distribution
Genus Galaxias is restricted to the Southern Hemisphere and the Cape galaxias is unique because it is the only species of the genus found in the African continent.
It is endemic to the Western Cape region in South Africa and the first specimen caught by scientists was captured in the Cape Flats area in 1861. For a long time it was believed that the distribution of this fish species was restricted to the Western Cape, within an area ranging between the Keurbooms River and the Olifants River. However, since 1995 it has been also found in the Krom River as well as in the Gamtoos River system of the Eastern Cape.[5]
References
- ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Galaxias zebratus" in FishBase. June 2006 version.
- ^ Kaapse galaxia (Galaxias zebratus)
- ^ A preliminary assessment of the impact of alien rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on indigenous fishes of the upper Berg River, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- ^ "Biodiversity, Alien trout, and the So what attitude"
- ^ Freshwater Ichthyology - The Cape galaxias Galaxias zebratus
External links
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