Native fish: Common Galaxias (Galaxias maculatus) or Inanga burst swimming - Dunns Creek

This video documents juvenile common galaxias (Galaxias maculatus) or whitebait trying to move up into freshwater after spending several months developing at sea. Within 50 metres of the coast they encounter their first obstacle, the sheer concrete wall of a drainage culvert. Some species of Galaxiids are renowned climbers and can climb slippery walls 10's of metres high; not so the common galaxias. It relies on a short burst of speed - burst swimming - against a vertical flow of water to try and overcome obstacles like this. In this video you can just make out fish rapidly pushing their way up in the flow forming little V's. At times they seem to go up like little squadrons. A few make it, some rest half way before falling back, and others seem to be able to rest up while stuck on the rock face, before pushing on.
This highlights the need for fishways or fish passage to be included in initial culvert designs, or allowances made for retrofitting them to existing structures. As shown in the video, even minor works can pose insurmountable barriers too some species
Filmed at Dunns Creek on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia.
© Greg Wallis 2021

[@blackhomunculus1814]

Wow great shots!

[@snells-window]

thanks, glad you enjoyed watching, and thanks for commenting

[@keithlowe5512]

Wonderful video

[@snells-window]

thanks Keith, glad you enjoyed watching

[@swampy7422]

Great video. Shows they are more capable of climbing than many give them credit for in NZ

[@snells-window]

Only burst swimming. Didn't see any actually climbing and witnessed very few make it over this relatively small obstacle, but gee they are determined

[@FeathergirlLimited]

really pushes the point home...time for a fix.

[@snells-window]

it does, I lodged a submission with council to try and address the problem in future, remains to be seen if they take anything on board

[@scoobusanubus737]

Wow it's actually pretty remarkable they're able to scale up the wall in the first place. Shame that some put in so much effort just to get picked off by a heron.

[@snells-window]

Even more remarkable when you consider that they can only swim. Other species are good climbers, but these little guys seem to rely on burst swimming, and so are only found at low elevations where there are no substantial barriers

[@eddiecochrane602]

Hi Greg, a bit off topic, but figured I'd ask about another type of Galaxias. Wondering if you know how the Mountain Galaxias and freshwater crays at Wentworth Falls are going. I loved to watch them in the Jamison Creek but a flood took out access to the creek and it's been closed for what must be close to two years now.

[@snells-window]

Hi Eddie, unfortunately I haven't been back there for some time now (I live in Melbourne). I did a video there quite a few years ago and will check in again next time I go through the mountains. I doubt a flood would worry them too much, although if it came soon after fires then yes that would be a big problem. I would sneak down and have a look. Remember this was the creek that was poisoned by a termiticide upstream many years ago, and that did have a huge impact on crayfish populations at the time. Let me know if you discover anything. cheers

[@kevinwhitmore4401]

This is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing 👍

[@snells-window]

thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@liammcnally9572]

you should catch them with a net and put them up the top

[@snells-window]

I did make a rough little wooden fishway/ramp which I left in place for a couple of weeks....hopefully some of them managed to use it!

[@liammcnally9572]

@@snells-window sounds great!

[@Whos-That-Guy]

I noticed a heap of tiny fish in the local drainage. I figured it was either tiny eels or carp as there are in plaque numbers in most lakes around me. So one night I fished out a few to feed to my eastern long neck but looks like I've caught some Galaxias. Still not sure of the second species I've caught yet. Still sus it's carp. Anyway. Wondering if I'm doing the wrong thing by catching a handful every so often to feed my baby long neck? They would naturally form a small part of it's diet.... Wondering what your thoughts are on catching 5-10 a month or should I just leave them be.

[@snells-window]

I dont see it as a problem at all. There are countless thousands of juvenile common galaxias moving up some of our streams at the moment in spring (after their larval marine stage). They have in the past been harvested in large numbers, especially in NZ, as whitebait, although more restrictions are in place now.

[@australianbiotopes4563]

Great footage! I kind of feel sorry for the fish, they don't get much of a chance, I can see so many ways we could make their migration easier in this situation but as per usual no one thinks of them, we as humans do things to make our life easier with no regard to the wildlife around us, it looks like the birds cash in on it though.

[@snells-window]

thanks Jason. Hopefully something can be retrofitted to help these guys out. Have a look at "tim olley" 's channel, he does this type of work and has some great solutions. I made a temporary fishway which stayed in place for a month or so, but not sure if they used it. There were eels underneath as well, no doubt picking them off at night, but unfortunately I didn't capture any on film.