The Murray hardyhead (''Craterocephalus fluviatilis'') is a species of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

in the family

Atherinidae The Old World silversides are a family, Atherinidae, of fish in the order Atheriniformes. Atherinidae are abundant and considered bony fish (teleost) that are widespread globally, living in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters. They occur worl ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to inland parts of southeastern

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 ...

. The fish is an

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

, feeding on small crustaceans, aquatic insects and

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

Conservation

The fish was once widespread and abundant in the Murray and Murrumbidgee River systems in southern NSW and northern Victoria. However, they have suffered a serious population decline and now seem to be limited to a few sites, mainly in northern Victoria. There are very few recent records of Murray hardyheads from NSW. The main threat to remaining populations is increasing salinity and lack of water. Murray hardyheads are now listed as an endangered species in NSW and threatened in Victoria. There are heavy penalties for harming, possessing, buying, or selling them.

References

External links

Fishes of Australia : ''Craterocephalus fluviatilis''
Murray hardyhead Fish of the Murray-Darling basin Endangered fauna of Australia Murray hardyhead Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Atheriniformes-stub