The Freshwater Fishes. of Australia - 2. Gunther Schmida.

Transcription

1 The Freshwater Fishes of Australia - 2 Gunther Schmida The concept, text, lay-out and all images contained in this publication are by Gunther Schmida and protected by copyright. This preview shows only the first few pages in actual size, all others are much reduced, with each of the nine boxes per page representing one full size page. has been omitted as the small print became unreadable. All information given is accurate and up to date. All images show the subjects in prime condition and with expanded fins to aid identification. Change pages by using up or down keys on keyboard. Tablet users just need to scroll the pages.

2 The Freshwater Fishes of Australia - 2 Hardyheads - Rainbowfish Blue-eyes Edition 4-15 Gunther Schmida Regal Rainbowfish Melanotaenia trifasciata - Richard River - Arnhem Land - NT

3 Contents Hardyheads Preface Rainbowfish Acknowledgements Blue-eyes Introduction Glossary Atherinidae Melanotaeniidae Pseudomugilidae Un-specked Hardyhead - Craterocephalus fulvus 5 cm SL - Condomine River - SE-Qld. Further Reading Katherine River near Katherine - Daly River drainage - NT

4 Preface Freshwater fish have been a much neglected part of Australia s fauna for many years. Only the species appreciated by anglers, food connoisseurs or keepers of ornamental fish were better known. Even today most people consider freshwater fish to be drab and boring by comparison to marine species. They are neither, and it is hoped that this series of e-books will bury this myth once and for all. Australian freshwater fish, especially the ones suitable for fish keeping, have been my passion for over 40 years. Almost as long ago as I decided to keep, breed and study Australian freshwater fish, I also commenced photographing them in the best possible way. As this is not possible in the wild for various reasons, all images on these pages were taken in as natural settings as possible, in aquaria meeting the requirements of the many species. Freshwater fish literature was scarce back then, and most wildlife books ignored these aquatic creatures altogether, or did not show them in a natural way. Things have changed for the better since, but this e-book is the first where the author can claim to actually have had at least some first hand experience with all living subjects shown on these pages. Even so, it would not have been possible to provide the current knowledge contained herein without the detailed work of many scientists and dedicated amateurs in this field, who were prepared to share their knowledge. This volume deals with the Hardyheads, Rainbowfish and Blue-eyes, many of which have become some of the best known Australian freshwater fish globally in recent years. It is designed to be up-dated and up-graded whenever new information or better images become available. Ornate Rainbowfish Rhadinocentrus ornatus - Sparring males 7 cm SL - Seary s Creek - Rainbow Beach - SE-Qld.

5 Acknowledgements: No work of this kind could ever be undertaken without the help of many other like-minded and generous people. For sharing their knowledge, providing specimens and assisting in the field I would like to very much thank everyone involved. Special thanks are due to: Steve & Aimee Brooks Adrian & Fran Dawson Dr. Bruce Hansen Leo O Reilly and Dave & Robyn Wilson As well as: Terry & Michelle Adams Glynn Aland Sean Alanson Dr Gerald Allen Neil Armstrong Gary Backhouse Steve Baines Dr. Chris Barlow Glenn Briggs Dr. Danny Brown Gavin Brown Andrew Bruce Dr. Philip Cadwallader Keryn Cobden Eng Chua Rob Carroll John Davies Peter Ford Daryl Franks Dr. Dean Gilligan Peter Graham Dr. Mike Hammer Dr. Brett Herbert Dr. Doug Hoese Charlotte Jenkins Brendan Johnson Lawrie Kirk Ken Kirkness Peter Kraus Bob Kroll Dr. Helen Larson Andrew Lo Ray Leggett Glenn Leiper Brian McGregor Charles Niautou Gavin Rich Dr. John Paxton Robert Pulvirenti David Roberts Dean Sampson Bruce Sambell Ken Shaw Paul Smith Gary Stephenson Peter Unmack Adrian Tappin Graham Walker and Michael J. Young Honey Blue-eyes Pseudomugil mellis - Sparring males - 3 cm SL Many thanks are also due to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, NSW, Queensland & Victorian Fishery Departments, ERIS in the Northern Territory and the many scientists who published the results of their research over many years. Additional thanks are due to all who offered suggestions and pointed out errors, especially Glenn Leiper who proof read all. All distribution maps are courtesy of Dave Wilson.

6 Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi Sparring males - 10 cm SL - Kangaroo Creek near Tin Can Bay - SE-Qld How to use this book. This book is meant to appeal to as many readers as possible, not just to the converted fish enthusiasts. The language is kept as simple as possible, although some jargon was unavoidable. Scientific names are given where ever they exist. So too are common names. Males of most rainbowfish often change shape as they grow. It is therefore helpful to know the actual size of the fish in the image. This is given in cm of the Standard Length (SL) - from the lips to the beginning of the tail fin. Location given with an image indicates the place the fish is from.

7 Slender-bodied Hardyheads Common Genus: Craterocephalus Species Author(s) & Year Type Locality Max. size Fly-specked Hardyhead stercusmuscarum (Günther, 1867) Cape York 9 cm SL Un-specked Hardyhead fulvus Crowley, Ivantsoff & Allen 1987 Finke R., NT 6 cm SL Prince Regent Hardyhead lentiginosus Ivantsoff, Crowley & Allen, 1987 Prince Regent River, WA 7.5 cm SL Dalhousie Hardyhead dalhousiensis Ivantsoff & Glover, 1974 Dalhousie Springs, SA 6.5 cm SL Glover s Hardyhead gloveri Crowley & Ivantsoff, 1990 Dalhousie Springs, SA 4.5 cm SL WA C. lentiginosus C. gloveri C. dalhousiensis NT Qld. C. stercusmuscarum SA C. fulvus Murray-Darling Basin NSW Fly-specked Hardyhead Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum 7 cm SL - Calliope River - SE-Qld. Introduction: The Fly-specked Hardyhead was the first to become known to science and was described in 1867 from Cape York specimens. Less prominent spotted slender hardyheads are known from some western catchments of the cape however and need further investigation. The Un-specked Hardyhead from southern Queensland and parts of the Murray-Darling system was until recently considered to be a sub-species. The Prince Regent Hardyhead looks very much like a Fly-specked one but has larger scales and is only known from few locations. Dalhousie & Glover s Haryheads are only tentatively included here as they seem to fit between the slender and robust forms. VIC Habitat: Commonly found in all kinds of waterways and conditions. Dalhousie & Glover s restricted to large billabongs at Dalhousie Springs in arid South Australia. Raglan Creek - coastal central Qld.

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24 Thank you for taking the time to view this condensed preview of The Australian Freshwater Fishes - 2 It is arguably the most comprehensive account of Australian Hardyheads, Rainbowfish and Blue-eyes. If you find it useful and wish to support its continuing expansion and updates, you can do so by purchasing the FULL SIZE pdf version for a fee of only $ Just return to previous window and click BUY NOW button, then follow the links. The 96 page guide to Australian freshwater fishes by this author: A Wild Australia Guide - Freshwater Fishes is available in all good book stores, or by contacting the above address.