Meet Australia’s newest freshwater fish

Photo: Tim Dempster

Reseachers discover 20 new species in the remote Kimberley region

Published 6 January 2016

A research team, led by the University of Melbourne, has discovered 20 new fish species during fieldwork in the remote Kimberley, one of Australia’s most remote areas.

Associate Professor Tim Dempster, from the School of BioSciences, says it is the single greatest addition to Australia’s freshwater fish inventory since records began and boosts the total number of known species by 10 per cent.

The new species belong to three families: terapontidae (grunters), eleotridae (gudgeons) and atherinidae (hardy heads).

Take a look at some of them here:

TERAPONTIDAE: HANNIA WINTONI, FOUND IN THE PRINCE REGENT RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 1, MITCHELL RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 2, PENTECOST RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 3, ORD RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 4, PRINCE REGENT RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 5, ISDELL RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 6, MORAN RIVER (ROE CATCHMENT)

TERAPONTIDAE: SYNCOMISTES SPECIES 7, KING EDWARD RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: AMNIATABA SPECIES 1, SALE RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: AMNIATABA SPECIES 2, PENTECOST RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: AMNIATABA SPECIES 3, DRYSDALE RIVER

TERAPONTIDAE: AMNIATABA SPECIES 4, FITZROY RIVER

ELEOTRIDAE: HYPSELEOTRIS SPECIES 1, ROE RIVER

ELEOTRIDAE: HYPSELEOTRIS SPECIES 2, KING EDWARD RIVER

ELEOTRIDAE: HYPSELEOTRIS SPECIES 3, CALDER RIVER

ATHERINDAE: CRATEROCEPHALUS SPECIES 1, GLENELG RIVER

No supplied pictures for Syncomistes Species 8, Prince Regent River; Amniataba Species 5, Isdell River; Species 6, Ord River and Species 7, Durack River (all terapontidae).

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