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Miracle fish
22Apr08
Andrew Lo with a galaxias brevipinnis discovered in Stokes Creek
A PREHISTORIC fish has been found alive and well in Stokes Creek in the Dharawal State Recreation Area.
The galaxias brevipinnis, also known as the gondwanan climbing fish, was discovered on April 11 in the pristine Stokes Creek area.
An expert on the species, Andrew Lo, and a team of volunteers located the fish in the upper reaches of the Georges River during a night expedition.
"We had a grand-daddy, the one we took as a specimen which is about three years old, and three juveniles, indicating there was a variety of generations," Mr Lo said.
"They have to go upstream to spawn so the fact that there were three juveniles in the small section we saw is a definite sign this is a viable population."
The smooth-skinned fish dates back to the Gondwana land split.
It is considered to be part of the "Gondwanan cargo" when New Zealand separated from the Australian land mass 50 million years ago.
The fish has the capability of using its downward-facing pectoral fins in an armlike motion to move itself upstream over rock beds.
They can survive out of water for extended periods and this adds to their hardiness because they have the ability to breathe through their skin.
The fish has been found in the Upper Hunter and in Curl Curl Creek, which drains into Manly Dam in Sydney's North Shore.
Mr Lo retrieved a specimen, which will be preserved in a fish tank at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
"Museum collections reduce the need for scientists to collect new specimens or objects when conducting research," he said.
"This is especially important when research is focused on endangered or vulnerable species."
Although not an endangered species, many populations of climbing galaxias have disappeared because of pollution in creeks caused by residential run-offs including pesticides, herbicides and hydrocarbons.
The fish was first discovered in O'Hares Creek and Stokes Creek in a biodiversity survey conducted by the National Parks Association's Macarthur branch in 1997.
"Biodiversity surveys ... are important to monitor existing populations that may be endangered by habitat degradation so that action may be taken by the community to prevent it happening," Mr Lo said.
