EASTERN LITTLE GALAXIAS
Galaxiella pusilla
GENERAL INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION
An small elongated fish with a yellowish body. Males have a prominent red stripe along their sides. They have large eyes.
SIZE
Small, up to 3 cm.
APPEAL
This little fish is one of the best looking South Australian native fish. It is constantly active in the aquarium and easily observed. Galaxiella pusilla are a rare fish so breeding them is highly recommended. Very few people keep these fish in captivity.
AVAILABILITY
Very difficult to obtain. You may be able to get some from the South Australian Native Fish Association or from ANGFA (links available at index page).
MAINTENANCE OF CAPTIVE SPECIMENS
SUITABILITY FOR KEEPING IN CAPTIVITY
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Advantages: Happy in a tiny aquarium (less than 60 cm). Does not eat other fish. Not territorial. Does not fight with its own kind. Eats almost anything, as long as it is small. Does not disturb plants. |
Disadvantages: Grows to a very small size. I don't know how it responds to harassment. Can be tricky to feed only because of it's small size. Can be sensitive to water quality. Needs to be kept cool - below (25C). |
A little tricky to maintain due to it's small size. Should not be kept with other fish. This fish may be quite difficult to obtain.
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS
Does not need a lot of room, a 30 cm tank should be fine for five fish. Room temperature is satisfactory, must not get hotter than 25C! Some sort of filtration should be used along with plenty of aeration. It would probably appreciate some plants such as java moss.
AQUARIUM BEHAVIOR
They tend to be solitary but are constantly active and looking for food. They swim throughout the water column and rarely hide. Very peaceful. Seem to sleep at night.
FEEDING HABITS
They take very finely ground flake food and relish small live foods. I can only tell if they are eating by observing feces hanging from the rectum. Uneaten food can be a problem and I have to clean the tank regularly because of this.
FISH KEEPING RECOMMENDATIONS
This is a rare fish therefore every effort should be made to ensure their survival. They are best maintained by themselves due to their size. Make sure this fish does not get too hot (over 25C). If the temperate gets higher, try placing the aquarium by an air conditioner or try dropping blocks of ice into the aquarium water.
OUR FISH
SPECIMEN DETAILS
I had four captive bred fish, 1 cm in length. Unfortunately they all died when I went on a holiday.
AQUARIUM DETAILS
I kept them in a 20 cm X 10 cm aquarium, maintained at room temperature. No filtration or aeration. Tank was lightly planted and had no other fish in it.
USEFUL LINKS
As far as I can determine, this is the only page on the Internet that details care of Galaxias pusilla!
Copyright (c) Alexander Foreman