''Galaxias ornatus'', the ornate galaxias, is a galaxiid 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'', a member of the Mountain Galaxias species complex group of freshwater fish, found in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

Generally as for other members of the genus, body long, of medium depth, slightly compressed laterally with the middle of the back surface slightly flattened between the pelvic and pectoral fins. Body evenly arched from the base of the tail to the snout, slightly less so on the belly. Head medium sized and noticeably wider than deep. Fins generally fleshy, especially paired fins, rounded and of medium length. Pelvic fins moderately long about 90% of pectorals, which are paddle shaped. Maximum recorded size , commonly . Colour tan to brown on the back and sides continuing over the head and snout, fading to creamy white on the lower surfaces. Base colour overlain with closely spaced dark blotches, some joining together to form unevenly shaped vertical stripes generally extending well below the

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

. Some fish show a thin line of gold spots in the middle of the upper surface with a diffuse band of gold to coppery spots mostly below the lateral line and more prominently towards the rear of the fish. Gill covers translucent with a large golden spot. The eyes have a gold iris.

Distribution

The ornate Galaxias is mainly confined to coastal systems south of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

at elevations of and probably up to in Victoria between

Wilsons Promontory Wilsons Promontory, is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria. South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearb ...

and Cape Otway with a small population north of the Great Dividing Range in a minor creek in the upper reaches of the

Yea River The Yea River, an inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower South Eastern Highlands bioregion and Northern Country/North Central regions of the Australian state of Victor ...

, a tributary to the Goulburn River system.

Habitat

''Galaxias ornatus'' is usually found in clear, cool and well shaded upland creeks along mountain ranges and in larger streams at lower elevations. Such streams are commonly wide (up to ) and deep with pools of about in depth. The stream beds are usually complex, varying from clay and sand to boulder, pebble and bedrock. In-stream cover is mostly provided by rock, large and small woody debris, aquatic and riparian vegetation as well as overhanging stream banks. To the north and west of Melbourne in drier systems such as the Maribyrnong, Plenty and

Werribee Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Werribee recorded a population of 50,027 at the 2021 census. Werribee i ...

rivers the fish persist in ephemeral tributaries as well as in large and small isolated, sometime stagnant, pools. To the north east of Melbourne at higher elevations such as in the upper Yarra catchment the species withstands periods of varying times during winter with the streams covered in snow.

Lifecycle/Reproduction

Spawning occurs from June to mid August with adults ripe and near spawning from mid April. The fish remains confined to freshwater and does not migrate downstream to the estuary or the sea like many other ''Galaxias'' species.

Conservation

Least concern.

Utility to humans

Not an angling target due to small size.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q85762542 Galaxias Taxa named by François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau Fish described in 1873 Freshwater fish of Australia