Kowaro
The Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), also known as the kowaro, is found only on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand. Like other Neochanna species, it is a small, tubular and flexible fish which lacks scales. They are able to survive out of water in damp refuges if its wetland habitat dries out periodically over summer.
The first Canterbury mudfish was described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a specimen sent to him by Mr A. Burrows, a farmer from Oxford, North Canterbury. They were sent to him "alive in a tin box together with a quantity of damp earth, sent by parcel-post on a journey lasting over thirty hours, and arrived alive and extremely active." Although Mr Burrows reported that he had found the fish aestivating in holes in the bank, the mudfish is named after the farmer rather than burrowing behaviour.: 140
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
C
starts withThe Canterbury mudfish is tubular and flexible, with small but fleshy fins. The head is small and blunt, with small eyes and mouth and small tubular nostrils. Like the Chatham mudfish, the Canterbury mudfish retains very small pelvic fins, which are absent in the other three mainland New Zealand Neochanna. The pelvic fins only have 4 or 5 rays, rather than the 7 rays standard in other Galaxiidae. Adults often grow to 120 mm (4.7 in) total length, with a maximum of at least 150 mm (5.9 in).
They are light brown or milky brown, with darker speckles that extend onto the fleshy flanges on the rear fins. Sometimes they have small gold flecks.
Canterbury mudfish are found from just north of Christchurch south to the Waitaki River. They currently occupy springs, water races, and drains, but previously would have inhabited the abundant wetlands of the Canterbury Plains, before these were drained for farming.
Canterbury mudfish spawn in late winter and spring. The small eggs are scattered amongst dense aquatic vegetation near the surface of the water. They can delay spawning if suitable water quality of submerged vegetation is not present. The.mw-parser-output.frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output.frac.num,.mw-parser-output.frac.den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output.frac.den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output.sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}5–7 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) fry hatch two to three weeks later. They are initially active during the day in open water, then around 35–50 mm (1.4–2.0 in) they adopt adult habits and become nocturnal and spending much of their time hidden.: 141 They grow quickly in their first year, typically reaching 75–80 mm (3.0–3.1 in) but growth slows after this. Sexual maturity is reached in their first year and females spawn once per year, producing 500–10,000 eggs.
In 2014 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the Canterbury mudfish as "At Risk: Nationally Critical" with the qualifier C - predicted decline >70% over ten years. Also in 2014 the IUCN rated the Canterbury mudfish as "Critically endangered".
The Canterbury mudfish is range restricted and sparse, and its preservation is dependent on conservation efforts. Water abstraction, intensification of agriculture and changes in irrigation systems are main causes of their decline.
A release of Canterbury mudfish has been carried out in a protected wetland near Willowby, south of Ashburton, New Zealand, where it is hoped they will survive and reproduce. In May 2010, 90 young fish were released into Travis Wetland in the city of Christchurch in the hope that they would become established.
