Threatened species & ecological communities

The Action Plan for Australian freshwater fishes

R. Wager and P. Jackson
Environment Australia, June 1993
ISBN 0 6421 6818 0

Recovery outlines (continued)

Species recovery outline: Pedder Galaxias

Family: Galaxiidae

Scientific name: Galaxias pedderensis

English name: Pedder Galaxias

Species taxonomic status: Formally described by Frankenberg, 1968.

Species survival status: Has undergone a dramatic decline in numbers and range possibly due to inundation of former habitat, interaction with introduced brown trout and interaction with recently invading climbing galaxias. Most threatened fish species in Tasmania.

  1. Action plan status: Endangered.
  2. Australian Society for Fish Biology status: Endangered.
  3. Proposed new IUCN criteria status: Critical (possibly N< 250 and 20% decline in numbers over past two years, inferred interaction with introduced species, observed habitat alteration).

Former distribution: Found throughout Lake Pedder and its catchment streams in south west Tasmania.

Current distribution: Following the inundation of Lake Pedder for a hydro-electricity scheme, the Pedder Galaxias is only found in a few streams draining into Lake Pedder:

Habitat: Slow flowing streams with a sandy substrate and abundant cover.

Reasons for decline: Not conlusively known. Suspected that interactions with climbing galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis) (not previously recorded in the area) and/or brown trout (Salmo trutta) may be responsible.

Conservation reserves on which species occurs: Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Other public lands on which species occurs: None.

Other land on which species occurs: None.

Is knowledge about species adequate for objectives and actions to be defined accurately? (If not provide list of additional studies required): Yes.

Recovery objectives:

  1. Monitor wild populations.
  2. Re-establish or translocate reproducing populations to additional locations.
  3. Establish procedures for captive breeding to supply fish for stocking.

Management actions already initiated:

  1. Captive breeding program successful.
  2. Translocated population of 30 individuals established in Lake Oberon in the western Arthur Range. Nineteen wild caught and 11 laboratory spawned individuals were used.
  3. Recovery Plan has been prepared with funding from ANPWS Endangered Species Program and is being implemented.

Management actions required:

  1. Declaration of additional conservation reserves: Not required.
  2. Habitat management: Yes. Construction of a self cleaning trout barrier near the mouth of Bonnet Bay Creek 2 may be required. (Give priority to translocation and captive breeding.)
  3. Feral animal control: Yes. Removal of spawning trout from existing habitat.
  4. Translocation or re-establishment of populations: Yes. Monitor success of translocated population. Follow up stockings may be required.
  5. Captive breeding: Yes. Continue current program until success of translocated population assured.
  6. Other: Yes. Monitor known populations for decline in numbers and/or invasion by trout.

Organisations responsible for conservation of species:

Other organisations or individuals involved:

Can recovery plan be carried out with existing resources?: No.

  1. Costs for the Recovery Plan of this species have already been provided by ANPWS and involve $49 000 over three years (91/92 – 93/94).

Remarks: Swamp galaxias (Galaxias parvus) also found in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.