The dwarf inanga (''Galaxias gracilis'') is a
galaxiid
The Galaxiidae are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority live in Southern Australia or New Zealand, but some are found in South Africa, southern South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, and the ...
of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Galaxias
''Galaxias'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family (biology), family Galaxiidae, and are frequently referred to as the galaxiids. These highly adaptable fish are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere.
...
'', found in the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
It is a landlocked galaxiid present in only eleven lakes on the west coast of the North Island within 50 km of
Dargaville
Dargaville ( mi, Takiwira) is a town located in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River in the Kaipara District of the Northland region. The town is located 55 kilometres southwest of Whangārei. ...
, and in
Lake Ototoa
Lake Rototoa (formerly Lake Ototoa) is located at the northern end of the south head of the Kaipara Harbour in the Rodney ward of the Auckland Region, New Zealand. With a surface area of 1.39 km2 and a maximum depth of 26 m, it is the larg ...
on the South
Kaipara Head, where it was introduced in 1986. It can reach a maximum length of around 6.2 cm.
References
* Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1ce, B1+2 cd, D2 v2.3)
*
*
NIWA June 2006Distribution and conservation status of the dwarf inanga Galaxias gracilis (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) an endemic fish of Northland dune lakesDOC New Zealand non-migratory galaxiid fishes recovery plan 200313Creating and destroying species: the ‘new’ biodiversity and evolutionarily significant units among New Zealand's galaxiid fishes N. Ling1,*, D. M. Gleeson2, K. J. Willis1,†, S. U. Binzegger
Galaxias
Endemic freshwater fish of New Zealand
Taxa named by Bob McDowall
Fish described in 1967
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