Australia
Checklist of Endemic Freshwater Fish Species
This list of freshwater fish species found exclusively in Australia is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.
FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.
The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.
OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range ( these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)
IN = introduced elsewhere
Ambassis agassizii (Ambassidae) Agassiz's Olive Glassfish
Ambassis elongatus (Ambassidae) Yellowfin Glassfish
Ambassis jacksoniensis (Ambassidae) Port Jackson Perchlet
Ambassis marianus (Ambassidae) Estuary Perchlet
Ambassis muelleri (Ambassidae) Mueller's Glassfish
Denariusa australis (Ambassidae) Pennyfish
Arius midgleyi (Ariidae) Silver Cobbler
Arius paucus (Ariidae) Shovelnose Catfish
Atherinosoma microstoma (Atherinidae) Small-mouth Hardyhead
Craterocephalus amniculus (Atherinidae) Darling River Hardyhead
Craterocephalus centralis (Atherinidae) Finke River Hardyhead
Craterocephalus cuneiceps (Atherinidae) Murchison River Hardyhead
Craterocephalus dalhousiensis (Atherinidae) Dalhousie Hardyhead
Craterocephalus eyresii (Atherinidae) Lake Eyre Hardyhead
Craterocephalus fluviatilis (Atherinidae) Murray Hardyhead
Craterocephalus gloveri (Atherinidae) Glover's Hardyhead
Craterocephalus helenae (Atherinidae) Drysdale Hardyhead
Craterocephalus lentiginosus (Atherinidae) Prince Regent Hardyhead
Craterocephalus marianae (Atherinidae) Magela Hardyhead
Craterocephalus marjoriae (Atherinidae) Marjorie's Hardyhead
Craterocephalus munroi (Atherinidae) Munro's Hardyhead
Craterocephalus stramineus (Atherinidae) Strawman
Leptatherina wallacei (Atherinidae) Western Hardyhead
Neoceratodus forsteri (Ceratodontidae) Australian Lungfish
Potamalosa richmondia (Clupeidae) Australian Freshwater Herring
Gobiomorphus australis (Eleotridae) Striped Gudgeon
Gobiomorphus coxii (Eleotridae) Cox's Gudgeon
Hypseleotris aurea (Eleotridae) Golden Gudgeon
Hypseleotris ejuncida (Eleotridae) Slender Gudgeon
Hypseleotris galii (Eleotridae) Firetailed Gudgeon
Hypseleotris kimberleyensis (Eleotridae) Barnett River Gudgeon
Hypseleotris klunzingeri (Eleotridae) Western Carp Gudgeon
Hypseleotris regalis (Eleotridae) Prince Regent Gudgeon
Kimberleyeleotris hutchinsi (Eleotridae) Mitchell Gudgeon
Kimberleyeleotris notata (Eleotridae) Drysdale Gudgeon
Milyeringa veritas (Eleotridae) Cave Gudgeon
Mogurnda adspersa (Eleotridae) Purple-spotted Gudgeon
Mogurnda clivicola (Eleotridae) Flinders Range Mogurnda
Mogurnda larapintae (Eleotridae) Desert Mogurnda
Mogurnda oligolepis (Eleotridae) Kimberley Mogurnda
Mogurnda thermophila (Eleotridae) Dalhousie Mogurnda
Philypnodon grandiceps (Eleotridae) Flathead Gudgeon
Galaxias auratus (Galaxiidae) Golden Galaxias
Galaxias fontanus (Galaxiidae) Swan Galaxias
Galaxias fuscus (Galaxiidae) Brown Galaxias
Galaxias johnstoni (Galaxiidae) Clarence Galaxias
Galaxias niger (Galaxiidae) Black Galaxias
Galaxias occidentalis (Galaxiidae) Western Minnow
Galaxias olidus (Galaxiidae) Mountain Galaxias
Galaxias parvus (Galaxiidae) Small Pedder Galaxias
Galaxias pedderensis (Galaxiidae) Pedder Galaxias
Galaxias rostratus (Galaxiidae) Murray Jollytail
Galaxias tanycephalus (Galaxiidae) Saddled Galaxias
Galaxias truttaceus OC (Galaxiidae) Spotted Mountain Trout
Galaxiella munda (Galaxiidae) Mud Minnow
Galaxiella nigrostriata (Galaxiidae) Black-stripe Minnow
Galaxiella pusilla (Galaxiidae) Eastern Little Galaxias
Lovettia sealii (Galaxiidae) Tasmanian Whitebait
Neochanna cleaveri (Galaxiidae) Tasmanian Mudfish
Paragalaxias dissimilis (Galaxiidae) Shannon Galaxias
Paragalaxias eleotroides (Galaxiidae) Greater Lake Darter
Paragalaxias julianus (Galaxiidae) Julian Galaxias
Paragalaxias mesotes (Galaxiidae) Arthur's Paragalaxias
Mordacia mordax OC (Geotriidae) Australian Lamprey
Mordacia praecox (Geotriidae) Non-parasitic Lamprey
Afurcagobius suppositus (Gobiidae) Long-headed Goby
Afurcagobius tamarensis (Gobiidae) Tamar River Goby
Chlamydogobius eremius (Gobiidae) Desert Goby
Chlamydogobius gloveri (Gobiidae) Dalhousie Goby
Chlamydogobius japalpa (Gobiidae) Finke Goby
Chlamydogobius micropterus (Gobiidae) Elizabeth Springs Goby
Chlamydogobius ranunculus (Gobiidae) Tadpole Goby
Chlamydogobius squamigenus (Gobiidae) Edgbaston Goby
Mugilogobius paludis (Gobiidae) Pale Mangrove Goby
Mugilogobius rivulus (Gobiidae) Drain Mangrove Goby
Mugilogobius wilsoni (Gobiidae) Wilson's Mangrove Goby
Pseudogobius olorum (Gobiidae) Swan River Goby
Redigobius macrostoma (Gobiidae) Large-mouth Goby
Stiphodon alleni (Gobiidae) Allen's Cling-goby
Tasmanogobius lordi (Gobiidae) Lord's Goby
Hyporhamphus regularis (Hemiramphidae) River Garfish
Lepidogalaxias salamandroides (Lepidogalaxiidae) Salamanderfish
Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides (Melanotaeniidae) Cairns Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia duboulayi (Melanotaeniidae) Duboulay's Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia eachamensis (Melanotaeniidae) Lake Eacham Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia exquisita (Melanotaeniidae) Exquisite Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia fluviatilis (Melanotaeniidae) Murray River Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia gracilis (Melanotaeniidae) Slender Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia nigrans (Melanotaeniidae) Black-banded Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia pygmaea (Melanotaeniidae) Pygmy Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia trifasciata (Melanotaeniidae) Banded Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia utcheensis (Melanotaeniidae) Utchee Rainbowfish
Rhadinocentrus ornatus (Melanotaeniidae) Ornate Rainbowfish
Myxus elongatus OC (Mugilidae) Sand Mullet
Myxus multidens (Mugilidae)
Myxus petardi (Mugilidae) Pinkeye Mullet
Valamugil georgii (Mugilidae) Fantail Mullet
Scleropages leichardti OC (Osteoglossidae) Spotted Bonytongue
Bostockia porosa (Percichthyidae) Nightfish
Edelia vittata (Percichthyidae) Western Pygmy Perch
Gadopsis bispinosus (Percichthyidae) Two-spined Blackfish
Gadopsis marmoratus OC (Percichthyidae) River Blackfish
Guyu wujalwujalensis (Percichthyidae) Bloomfield River Cod
Maccullochella ikei (Percichthyidae) Eastern Freshwater Cod
Maccullochella macquariensis (Percichthyidae) Trout Cod
Maccullochella peelii OC (Percichthyidae) Murray Cod
Macquaria ambigua (Percichthyidae) Golden Perch
Macquaria australasica IN (Percichthyidae) Macquarie Perch
Macquaria colonorum (Percichthyidae) Estuary Perch
Macquaria novemaculeata (Percichthyidae) Australian Bass
Nannatherina balstoni (Percichthyidae) Balston's Pygmy Perch
Nannoperca australis (Percichthyidae) Tasmanian Pygmy Perch
Nannoperca obscura (Percichthyidae) Yarra Pygmy Perch
Nannoperca oxleyana (Percichthyidae) Oxleyan Pygmy Perch
Nannoperca variegata (Percichthyidae) Golden Pygmy Perch
Anodontiglanis dahli (Plotosidae) Toothless Catfish
Neosiluroides cooperensis (Plotosidae) Cooper Creek Catfish
Neosilurus argenteus (Plotosidae) Silver Catfish
Neosilurus gloveri (Plotosidae) Dalhousie Catfish
Neosilurus hyrtlii (Plotosidae) Glencoe Tandan
Neosilurus mollespiculum (Plotosidae) Soft-spined Catfish
Neosilurus pseudospinosus (Plotosidae) False-spined Catfish
Neosilurus rendahli (Plotosidae) Rendahl's Catfish
Tandanus bostocki (Plotosidae) Freshwater Cobbler
Tandanus tandanus (Plotosidae) Dewfish
Pseudaphritis urvillii (Pseudaphritidae) Congolli
Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis (Pseudomugilidae) Blueback Blue-eye
Pseudomugil mellis (Pseudomugilidae) Honey Blue-eye
Pseudomugil signifer (Pseudomugilidae) Pacific Blue-eye
Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis (Pseudomugilidae) Red-finned Blue-eye
Prototroctes maraena (Retropinnidae) Australian Grayling
Retropinna semoni (Retropinnidae) Australian Smelt
Retropinna tasmanica (Retropinnidae) Tasmanian Smelt
Ophisternon candidum (Synbranchidae) Blind Cave Eel
Hippichthys parvicarinatus (Syngnathidae) Short-keel Pipefish
Amniataba percoides (Terapontidae) Barred Grunter
Bidyanus bidyanus (Terapontidae) Bidyan Perch
Bidyanus welchi (Terapontidae) Silver Bream
Hannia greenwayi (Terapontidae) Greenway's Grunter
Hephaestus carbo (Terapontidae) Black Grunter
Hephaestus epirrhinos (Terapontidae) Long-nose Sooty Grunter
Hephaestus jenkinsi (Terapontidae) Western Sooty Grunter
Leiopotherapon aheneus (Terapontidae) Fortescue Grunter
Leiopotherapon macrolepis (Terapontidae) Large-scale Grunter
Leiopotherapon unicolor (Terapontidae) Spangled Perch
Pingalla gilberti (Terapontidae) Gilbert's Grunter
Pingalla midgleyi (Terapontidae) Black-blotch Grunter
Scortum barcoo (Terapontidae) Barcoo Grunter
Scortum hillii (Terapontidae) Leathery Grunter
Scortum parviceps (Terapontidae) Small-headed Grunter
Syncomistes butleri (Terapontidae) Butler's Grunter
Syncomistes kimberleyensis (Terapontidae) Kimberley Grunter
Syncomistes rastellus (Terapontidae) Drysdale Grunter
Syncomistes trigonicus (Terapontidae) Longnose Grunter
Tetractenos glaber (Tetraodontidae) Smooth Toadfish
Notesthes robusta (Tetrarogidae) Bullrout
Additional endemic freshwater fish species that were not included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 156 endemic freshwater fish species listed above, these additional 10 species total 166 species of freshwater fishes known solely from Australia.
Himantura dalyensis (Dasyatidae) Freshwater Whipray 2008
Hypseleotris barrawayi (Eleotridae) Barraway's Carp Gudgeon 2007
Oxyeleotris selheimi (Eleotridae) Giant Gudgeon
Philypnodon macrostomus (Eleotridae) Dwarf Flathead Gudgeon 2006
Melanotaenia solata (Melanotaeniidae) Northern Rainbowfish
Leptachirus darwinensis (Soleidae) 2007
Leptachirus triramus (Soleidae) 2007
Synclidopus hogani (Soleidae) 2008
Scortum neili (Terapontidae) Neil's Grunter
Toxotes kimberleyensis (Toxotidae) Kimberley Archerfish 2004