Papua New Guinea
Checklist of Endemic Freshwater Fish Species
This list of freshwater fish species found exclusively in Papua New Guinea 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)
Tetracentrum apogonoides (Ambassidae) Four-spined Glass Perchlet
Tetracentrum caudovittatus (Ambassidae) Kokoda Glass Perchlet
Tetracentrum honessi (Ambassidae) Honess' Glass Perchlet
Anguilla interioris (Anguillidae) Highlands Long-finned Eel
Glossamia abo (Apogonidae)
Glossamia narindica (Apogonidae) Slender Mouth Almighty
Arius augustus (Ariidae) Short Barbelled Catfish
Arius coatesi (Ariidae) Coates' Catfish
Arius crassilabris (Ariidae) Thick-lipped Catfish
Arius nox (Ariidae) Comb-gilled Catfish
Arius robertsi (Ariidae)
Craterocephalus kailolae (Atherinidae) Kailola's Hardyhead
Craterocephalus lacustris (Atherinidae) Kutubu Hardyhead
Craterocephalus pimatuae (Atherinidae) Pima Hardyhead
Nematalosa flyensis (Clupeidae) Fly River Gizzard Shad
Nematalosa papuensis (Clupeidae) Strickland River Gizzard Shad
Eleotris aquadulcis (Eleotridae) Freshwater Gudgeon
Mogurnda furva (Eleotridae) Black Mogurnda
Mogurnda kutubuensis (Eleotridae) Lake Kutubu Mogurnda
Mogurnda lineata (Eleotridae) Kokoda Mogurnda
Mogurnda maccuneae (Eleotridae)
Mogurnda malsmithi (Eleotridae)
Mogurnda mosa (Eleotridae)
Mogurnda orientalis (Eleotridae) Eastern Mogurnda
Mogurnda pulchra (Eleotridae) Moresby Mogurnda
Mogurnda spilota (Eleotridae) Blotched Mogurnda
Mogurnda variegata (Eleotridae) Variegated Mogurnda
Mogurnda vitta (Eleotridae) Striped Mogurnda
Oxyeleotris caeca (Eleotridae)
Prionobutis microps OC (Eleotridae) Small-eyed Loter
Tateurndina ocellicauda (Eleotridae) Peacock Gudgeon
Thryssa rastrosa (Engraulidae) Fly River Thryssa
Glossogobius coatesi (Gobiidae) Coates' Goby
Glossogobius torrentis (Gobiidae) White Water Goby
Gymnoamblyopus novaeguineae (Gobiidae)
Lentipes watsoni (Gobiidae)
Mugilogobius fusculus (Gobiidae) Obscure Goby
Sicyopus discordipinnis (Gobiidae)
Stenogobius alleni (Gobiidae)
Stenogobius psilosinionus (Gobiidae)
Stiphodon larson (Gobiidae)
Zenarchopterus robertsi (Hemiramphidae) Robert's River Garfish
Lutjanus goldiei OC (Lutjanidae) Papuan Black Snapper
Chilatherina axelrodi (Melanotaeniidae) Axelrods Rainbowfish
Chilatherina bulolo (Melanotaeniidae) Bulolo Rainbowfish
Chilatherina campsi (Melanotaeniidae) Highland Rainbowfish
Glossolepis maculosus (Melanotaeniidae) Spotted Rainbowfish
Glossolepis ramuensis (Melanotaeniidae) Ramu Rainbowfish
Glossolepis wanamensis (Melanotaeniidae) Lake Wanam Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia caerulea (Melanotaeniidae) Blue Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi (Melanotaeniidae) Lake Tebera Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia iris (Melanotaeniidae) Strickland Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia lacustris (Melanotaeniidae) Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia monticola (Melanotaeniidae) Mountain Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia mubiensis (Melanotaeniidae) Mubi Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia oktediensis (Melanotaeniidae) Oktedi Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia papuae (Melanotaeniidae) Papuan Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia parkinsoni (Melanotaeniidae) Parkinson's Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia pimaensis (Melanotaeniidae) Pima River Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia sexlineata (Melanotaeniidae) Fly River Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia sylvatica (Melanotaeniidae) Forest Rainbowfish
Neosilurus gjellerupi (Plotosidae) Northern Tandan
Oloplotosus luteus (Plotosidae) Pale Yellow Tandan
Oloplotosus torobo (Plotosidae) Kutubu Tandan
Kiunga ballochi (Pseudomugilidae) Kiunga Blue Eye
Pseudomugil connieae (Pseudomugilidae) Popondetta Blue-eye
Pseudomugil furcatus (Pseudomugilidae) Forktail Blue-eye
Pseudomugil majusculus (Pseudomugilidae) Cape Blue-eye
Pseudomugil paludicola (Pseudomugilidae) Swamp Blue-eye
Pseudomugil paskai (Pseudomugilidae) Paska's Blue-eye
Microphis spinachioides OC (Syngnathidae) Spinach Pipefish
Amniataba affinis (Terapontidae) Tiger Grunter
Hephaestus adamsoni (Terapontidae) Adamson's Grunter
Hephaestus komaensis (Terapontidae)
Hephaestus raymondi (Terapontidae) Raymond's Grunter
Hephaestus transmontanus (Terapontidae) Sepik Grunter
Hephaestus trimaculatus (Terapontidae) Threespot Grunter
Variichthys lacustris (Terapontidae) Lake Grunter
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 78 endemic freshwater fish species listed above, these additional 11 species total 89 species of freshwater fishes known solely from Papua New Guinea.
Allomogurnda flavimarginata (Eleotridae) 2003
Allomogurnda hoesei (Eleotridae) 2003
Allomogurnda insularis (Eleotridae) 2003
Allomogurnda landfordi (Eleotridae) 2003
Allomogurnda montana (Eleotridae) 2003
Allomogurnda papua (Eleotridae) 2003
Stenogobius watsoni (Gobiidae) 2004
Lentipes venustus (Gymnotidae) 2004
Neosilurus coatesi (Plotosidae)
Kiunga bleheri (Pseudomugilidae) 2004
Leptachirus bensbach (Soleidae) 2007