Fishwatching: Spotted Galaxias (Galaxias truttaceus), Tasmania

This video in part of my longer unedited fishwatching series.
These longer videos allow for a more immersive experience of undisturbed fish in their environment, particularly when there seems to be enough happening to keep the viewers attention. Normally I would just edit out the highlights and bin the rest, but sometimes I find a piece of footage where I enjoy watching the whole thing; I hope you do too!
An earlier edited version (including other footage) was posted several years ago and can be seen here:
• Native fish: Spotted G...
All this footage was filmed on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania in 2019.
©Greg Wallis 2019
For more information on Spotted Galaxias see:
fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/...
CAAB Taxon Code: 37102010

[@australianbiotopes4563]

Great video Greg! Thanks for sharing, it's a beautiful little habitat.

[@NaturalBiotopes]

It is interesting to observe Galaxia in its natural environment, it is surprising how these fish have adapted to live in such conditions, apparently here they have no enemies that threaten their existence.

[@snells-window]

I think they have plenty of enemies to contend with. Things like eels, crayfish, and in some streams larger fish, not to mention droughts in some areas. One of the major threats to Galaxiids is from the introduction of trout to many of our waterways; these have driven some species to the very edge of extinction, and no doubt we have lost species before they were even described to science. I'm going back to this spot in a month or so; it will be interesting to see the condition of the stream and if they are still there as it was right next to a logging road.

[@NaturalBiotopes]

@@snells-window Thank you for the detailed answer, now much has become clear, nature never ceases to amaze us.

[@aleckarcz1422]

Do you use any sort of bait to attract them to the camera? Also, how do you do this in deeper water? Do you lower it into the water on a string? Really awesome footage on your channel!

[@snells-window]

Thanks Alec. I very rarely bait fish as it changes their behaviour and many just go into a feeding frenzy; I prefer to get more natural footage. This video is just leftover footage after I had edited a shorter video from it. Sometimes it's just nice to watch fish without all the edits and angle changes that can make for an interesting short film; but usually all the bits are needed to cut out the boring bits where nothing happens. I usually just place my camera in shallow water from 5cm to less than a metre deep by hand, usually next to logs or rocks etc. Sometimes I will snorkel in deeper water down to about 5m but that is about it for me. On occasions I have just lowered the camera in on a string or rope and hoped for the best, but it's hit and miss. In one of the tropical billabongs I had to do this because of the presence of saltwater crocodiles. I did one off a jetty with my gopro just on a rope and filmed some great stingrays and the camera moved gently with the swell, but not in a distrcting way. I usually have my gopros mounted to a metal grid which helps to weigh them down and keep them still. I'll try and put together a video on how I film one day! Thanks for watching and commenting

[@riverdweller3208]

yeah new video