Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda), recorded as Endangered
Brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Brown mudfish

Neochanna apoda

The brown mudfish is a galaxiid endemic to New Zealand.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Neochanna apoda
Recorded from
New Zealand
Taxonomy
Osmeriformes · Galaxiidae · Neochanna

Appearance

The brown mudfish is a galaxiid endemic to New Zealand. The dorsal and anal fins of the brown mudfish are very long-based, extending close to the caudal fin, nearly joining it. In 2014, the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the brown mudfish as "At Risk: Declining" with qualifier "C(1/1) >100,000 mature individuals, predicted decline 10–70%", and the IUCN rated them as "Endangered".

It commonly grows to 100–130 mm (3.9–5.1 in) in length, and it can live to at least 7 years.

Range and habitat

The species is found in wetlands in the southwest of the North Island and the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. It inhabits shallow swamp-forest wetlands.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

Brown mudfish is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Brown mudfish, Wikidata item Q44226. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Canterbury mudfish

Neochanna burrowsius
Photograph of Northland mudfish (Neochanna heleios), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Northland mudfish

Neochanna heleios
Photograph of Black mudfish (Neochanna diversus), recorded as EndangeredEN

Black mudfish

Neochanna diversus
Photograph of Tasmanian mudfish (Neochanna cleaveri), recorded as EndangeredEN

Tasmanian mudfish

Neochanna cleaveri

Quick answers

What is Brown mudfish?
The brown mudfish is a galaxiid endemic to New Zealand.
What is the conservation status of Brown mudfish?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Neochanna apoda. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Brown mudfish live?
The species is found in wetlands in the southwest of the North Island and the northern half of the west coast of the South Island.
Why is Brown mudfish in crisis?
In 2014, the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the brown mudfish as "At Risk: Declining" with qualifier "C(1/1) >100,000 mature individuals, predicted decline 10–70%", and the IUCN rated them as "Endangered".
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Neochanna apoda?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Brown mudfish a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.