Greenway's grunter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greenway's grunter |
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Greenway's grunter (Hannia greenwayi) is a type of freshwater fish. It's a ray-finned fish from the grunter family, called Terapontidae. This fish is special because it lives only in the northern part of Western Australia. It's found nowhere else in the world!
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What Greenway's Grunter Looks Like
Greenway's grunter is a small, thin fish. It can be golden or silvery-grey. Its body is covered in large scales. Each scale has a dark edge. There is also a dark spot on the bottom part of its tail fin.
Young grunters, called juveniles, have a dark spot. This spot is near the base of their soft dorsal and anal fins. Older fish might have thick, fleshy lips. When caught, they sometimes show wide, dark stripes on their bodies.
This fish can grow up to 14 centimeters (about 5.5 inches) long. However, most grunters are around 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) long.
Where Greenway's Grunter Lives
Greenway's grunter lives only in the Kimberley region. This area is in Western Australia. You can find them in the Fitzroy River system. They also live in the Isdell and Calder rivers.
Home and Habits of Greenway's Grunter
Adult Greenway's grunters like to live in streams. These streams can flow at a medium or fast speed. They live in both clear and cloudy water. The bottom of these streams is a mix of sand and rocks.
We don't know much about their daily lives. But in 1969, scientists studied 100 of these fish. They found them in fast-flowing rapids. The water there was green. You could only see about 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) deep.
Greenway's grunter eats many different things. It is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. It feeds on algae and small invertebrates. Invertebrates are tiny creatures without backbones.
When it's time to have babies, the male fish guards the eggs. He also fans them with his fins. This helps the eggs get enough oxygen. Scientists think these fish lay their eggs during the wet season.
How Greenway's Grunter Got Its Name
Greenway's grunter was first officially described in 1971. A scientist named Richard P. Vari did this. The first fish found was in the Hann River at Moll Gorge. This is in Western Australia.
The first part of its scientific name, Hannia, comes from the Hann River. The second part, greenwayi, honors a person. It is named after James C. Greenway. He was an American bird expert. He helped pay for a trip to Australia. This trip was when the first grunter was found.
