Endangered fish found in Barwon River

AN endangered native fish has been found in the West Barwon River for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough for conservation efforts in the Upper Barwon catchment.

The discovery of the little galaxias (Galaxiella toourtkoourt) follows years of monitoring by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Barwon Water and research partners as part of the Barwon Flagship Waterway project.

The tiny fish was first detected through environmental DNA (eDNA) collected by citizen scientists near Gerangamete in 2024.

Although the DNA suggested the species was present, targeted fish surveys in 2024 and 2025 failed to find any individuals.

The endangered Little Galaxias is typically found in wetlands and slow-flowing waterways, making the species difficult to detect during traditional fish surveys. Photo: supplied.

That changed in April when aquatic ecologists from Austral Ecology unexpectedly captured a little galaxias while surveying macroinvertebrates in the West Barwon River.

Researchers from the Arthur Rylah Institute later confirmed the discovery after recording three more fish during monitoring surveys in May and June.

Corangamite CMA senior project officer for water infrastructure Anthony Byrne said the find was an encouraging result for native fish conservation.

“Finding little galaxias in the West Barwon River for the first time is an exciting result and highlights the value of long-term monitoring,” he said.

“What makes this discovery particularly rewarding is that it confirms an environmental DNA detection made by some passionate citizen scientists. It shows how community involvement can help us find and protect threatened species.”

Listed as endangered in Victoria, little galaxias are typically found in wetlands and slow-moving waterways with dense aquatic vegetation, making them difficult to detect during traditional fish surveys.

The discovery provides valuable new information about the species’ distribution and will help guide future conservation efforts in the catchment.

The latest fish monitoring also found native species accounted for about 77 per cent of fish recorded during general surveys, with strong populations of southern pygmy perch and ornate galaxias across the Upper Barwon.

Corangamite CMA said it would continue monitoring the newly discovered population and investigate opportunities to protect and improve habitat for the species as part of broader threatened fish recovery efforts.