Chatham mudfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chatham mudfish |
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The Chatham mudfish (Neochanna rekohua) is a special type of fish. It lives only in two small, peaty lakes on Chatham Island, New Zealand. This makes it a unique fish found nowhere else in the world.
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About the Chatham Mudfish
The Chatham mudfish is a kind of galaxiid fish. It was once thought to be a Galaxias fish. But scientists later found it was more like a mudfish.
Discovery and Name
This mudfish was first found in 1994 by C.P. Mitchell. He first named it Galaxias rekohua. The name rekohua comes from the Moriori language. It is the Moriori word for the Chatham Islands.
In 2004, another scientist, R.M. McDowall, studied the fish again. He looked at its body, how it acts, and its bones. He decided it was a Neochanna mudfish instead. Later, genetic tests showed he was right.
What It Looks Like
The Chatham mudfish looks a lot like a Galaxias fish. It has a short body and small fins near its belly. It is closely related to the Canterbury mudfish.
Most Chatham mudfish are about 75 millimeters (3 inches) long. Some can grow much bigger, up to 175 millimeters (7 inches). They are a dark brown color with mottled, or patchy, markings.
Where It Lives
This mudfish lives only in a few peaty lakes. Peaty lakes have dark, soft soil at the bottom. The fish likes to hide among submerged wood at the edges of these lakes. Because it lives in such specific spots, it is naturally uncommon. However, where it does live, there are many of them.
Conservation Status
As of 2014, the Chatham mudfish is listed as a least-concern species. This means it is not currently in danger of extinction.
