Heading. Basin Fish.Heading. Fish Names.
 

Most fish have both a common name and a scientific name.

Heading. Common Names.

Common names for fish are useful because they are often simple, easy to pronounce and familiar to many people. But people in different parts of the country may have a different name for the same fish, which can lead to confusion. For example, the common name eel refers to two different species in the Murray-Darling Basin. Because early white settlers were from Europe, they named Australian fish after European species, even though Australian species were very different. For example, the Australian Golden Perch is not a true perch, but rather a Freshwater Cod.

Heading. Scientific Names.

Scientific names have two parts: a genus and a species. For example, the scientific name of the Trout Cod is Maccullochella macquariensis. Each type of fish has a unique scientific name. Genus names generally come from Latin or Greek words. Species names are also frequently based on Latin or Greek and may describe some feature of the fish or where the fish lives, while other species may be named after the scientist who discovered it. One advantage of scientific names is that there is no confusion as to the identity of a fish once it has been described and the details published. Such certainty is necessary for scientific research. However, scientific names are often long, difficult to pronounce and hard to remember.
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Click a fish below to learn about its common and scientific names.
Australian Smelt
Black Bream
Bony Bream
Brown Trout
Carp
Common Galaxias
Congolli or Tupong
Estuary Perch
Flat-headed Gudgeon
Fly-specked Hardyhead (Southern Form)
Freshwater Catfish
Freshwater Crayfish
Golden Perch
Goldfish
Greenback Flounder
Macquarie Perch
Mosquitofish
Mulloway
 Murray Cod
Murray Crayfish
Murray Jollytail
Murray-Darling Rainbowfish
Olive Perchlet
Rainbow Trout
Redfin
River Blackfish
Sea Mullet
Short-finned Eel
Short-headed Lamprey
Silver Perch
Southern Purple-spotted Gudgeon
Southern Pygmy Perch
Spangled Perch
Trout Cod
Weatherloach
Western Carp Gudgeon
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  Australian Smelt
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Common Name
Australian Smelt
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The word smelt comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for silver. No other common names are known for this species.

 Scientific Name
Retropinna semoni   
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Retropinna  means backward fin, and refers to the position of the dorsal fin, which is far back on the body. The origin of the species name is unclear.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(50 kb)            
  Black Bream
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Common Name
Black Bream
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The common name refers to the dark colouration of this species when in fresh water.		 Scientific Name
Acanthopagrus butcheri
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Acantho means prickly and pagrus means sea bream in Latin.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(31 kb)            
  Bony Bream
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Common Name
Bony Bream
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Called bony because its body has many bones, and bream for its general body shape. Other common names are Bony Herring, Pyeberry, Melon Fish and Tukari.		 Scientific Name
Nematalosa erebi
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Nematalosa  is from Greek meaning thread-bearing, referring to the length of the last ray on the dorsal fin, while erebi  means from the underworld or hell and possibly refers to the many sharp bones in this species.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(67 kb)            
  Brown Trout
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Common Name
Brown Trout
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This member of the salmon and trout family is called brown because of the brown-coloured spots on its skin. Other common names are sea trout and Englishman.		 Scientific Name
Salmo trutta
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Salmo means salmon in Latin, and trutta means trout. Salmon and trout are in the same family, the salmonids, which originated in the northern hemisphere.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(54 kb)            
  Carp
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Common Name
Carp
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Carp is the universal name for this type of fish with large scales. Other names are European carp, common carp and koi.		 Scientific Name
Cyprinus carpio
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Cyprinus is Latin for carp, and carpio also refers to carp, meaning the original type of carp.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(44 kb)            
  Common Galaxias
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Common Name
Common Galaxias
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The common name Galaxias is from this fish’s scientific name. Other names are common jollytail and spotted minnow.		 Scientific Name
Galaxias maculatus
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Galaxias is one of the many Greek words for fish. maculatus comes from the Latin word for spotted.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(44 kb)            
  Congolli or Tupong
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Common Name
Congolli or Tupong
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The origins of these common names is unknown. Other common names are Flathead, Sandy, Marble Fish and Sand Trout.		 Scientific Name
Pseudaphritis urvillii
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The genus Pseudaphritis  means similar to a flathead. The species is named after a fish scientist called d’Urville.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(49 kb)            
  Estuary Perch
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Common Name
Estuary Perch
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The common name refers to the habitat where these fish spawn. Called perch by early white settlers because they reminded them of European perch.		 Scientific Name
Macquaria colonorum
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The genus Macquaria is named after the Macquarie River, which in turn was named for Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Colonorum means from the mountains, and may refer to the need for this species to come out of the rivers into salt water to breed.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(68 kb)            
  Flat-headed Gudgeon
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Common Name
Flat-headed Gudgeon
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Flat-headed refers to the shape of the head, which is compressed or flattened, like the marine fish called a Flathead.		 Scientific Name
Philypnodon grandiceps
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Philypnodon means not a Philypnus (Philypnus is an allied genus of goby) and grandiceps means big head.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(46 kb)            
  Fly-specked Hardyhead (Southern Form)
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Common Name
Fly-specked Hardyhead (Southern Form)
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Fly-specked refers to the spotted pattern on the side of the body (like fly specks) Hardyhead is the plain English version of the meaning of the ‘Genus Craterocephalus’ which means hard-headed. It simply refers to the fact that this fish has a strong, sturdy head.

Southern Form refers to the fact that there is another distinct Northern Form species which occurs outside the Murray-Darling Basin in south-eastern and northern areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory.

 Scientific Name
Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum fulvus
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Craterocerphalus means hard-headed and stercusmuscarum means fly spotted.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(107 kb)            
  Freshwater Catfish
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Common Name
Freshwater Catfish
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Called a Catfish because the barbels on its face look like the whiskers of a cat. Other common names are Tandan, Freshwater Jewfish, Dewfish, Eeltail Catfish and Kenaru.		 Scientific Name
Tandanus tandanus
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The scientific name was derived from the common name Tandan, an Aboriginal word for this fish.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(52 kb)            
  Freshwater Crayfish
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Common Name
Freshwater Crayfish
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The common name distinguishes this species from similar looking marine species. Other common names include yabby.		 Scientific Name
Cherax destructor
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The meaning of Cherax is unclear. Destructor means destroyer, referring to the powerful action of the crayfish's claws.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(45 kb)            
  Golden Perch
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Common Name
Golden Perch
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Called golden because the skin of mature fish is golden in colour, and perch because of its body shape. Other common names are Yellowbelly, Callop, Murray Perch and White Perch.		 Scientific Name
Macquaria ambigua
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The genus is named after Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The word ambigua  means changeable, and probably refers to the fact that the colour of this fish varies from olive to white depending on the colour of the water in which it lives.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(68 kb)            
  Goldfish
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Common Name
Goldfish
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The common name describes the gold-bronze colour of this alien fish. Other common names are carp, crucian carp and Prussian carp.		 Scientific Name
Carassius auratus
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Carassius is another Latin word for carp and auratus means gold.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(40 kb)            
  Greenback Flounder
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Common Name
Greenback Flounder
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The common name describes the colour of the skin of this flounder.		 Scientific Name
Rhombosolea tapirina
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Rhombosolea means bottom-dwelling flatfish and tapirina means fleshy snout, referring to the enlarged snout of this fish.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(39 kb)            
  Macquarie Perch
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Common Name
Macquarie Perch
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Called perch because it resembles European Perch, and Macquarie because it was common in the Macquarie River. Other names are Silvereye, White Eye, Mountain Perch, and Bream.		 Scientific Name
Macquaria australasica
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The genus was named after the Macquarie River, which in turn was named for the former Governor of NSW, Lachlan Macquarie. Australasica  means from southern Asia.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(61 kb)            
  Mosquitofish
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Common Name
Mosquitofish
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These fish were called mosquitofish because they were introduced to Australian streams to control mosquitos. Another common name is Eastern Gambusia.		 Scientific Name
Gambusia holbrooki
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The meaning of the genus name is unclear. The species was named after John Holbrook, a freshwater naturalist from the south eastern USA.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(55 kb)            
  Mulloway
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Common Name
Mulloway
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The origin of the common name mulloway is unclear. Other common names are jewfish and school jew. Small mulloway are called soapies.		 Scientific Name
Argyrosomus hololepidotus
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Argyrosomus means silver bodied and hololepidotus means covered entirely with scales.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(46 kb)            
  Murray Cod
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Common Name
Murray Cod
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Called Murray after the Murray River where it was once abundant, and cod by early settlers because it reminded them of European Cods. Another common name is Codfish. Its Aboriginal names are Ponde and Goodoo.		 Scientific Name
Maccullochella peelii peelii
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The genus was named after A.R. MacCulloch, a fish scientist who worked at the Australian Museum in the early 1900s. The species name came from the Peel River, where the fish was first collected.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(75 kb)            
  Murray Crayfish
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Common Name
Murray Crayfish
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The common name describes the distribution of this crayfish, the Murray River and it tributaries. Other common names include spiny crayfish and lobster.		 Scientific Name
Euastacus armatus
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Euastacus means the true lobster and armatus means armed, referring to the spines on this crayfish.
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  Murray Jollytail
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Common Name
Murray Jollytail
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Jollytail is a common name for the fish of this family, possibly referring to the rapid way in which the fish moves its tail, dorsal and ventral fins. Other names are Flathead Galaxias and Flathead Jollytail.		 Scientific Name
Galaxias rostratus
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Galaxias  is one of the many Greek words for fish. Rostratus  comes from Latin, meaning snout.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(55 kb)            
  Murray-Darling Rainbowfish
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Common Name
Murray-Darling Rainbowfish
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This species is one of the Rainbowfish family, named after the many bright colours on their bodies. Other common names are Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish and Inland Rainbow.		 Scientific Name
Melanotaenia fluviatilis
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Melanotaenia  means black ribboned describing the bands of black colour on the edges of the fins. Fluviatilis  means from a river.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(61 kb)            
  Olive Perchlet
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Common Name
Olive Perchlet
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Called olive because of its colour, and perchlet because it reminded settlers of a small Perch. Other common names are Silver Spray, Doody, Western Chanda Perch and Inland Chanda Perch.		 Scientific Name
Ambassis agassizii
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Ambassis  means like a bass, and the species name refers to Jean Agassiz - a zoologist who studied fish in the mid 1800s.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(64 kb)            
  Rainbow Trout
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Common Name
Rainbow Trout
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This member of the Pacific salmon and trout family is called rainbow for the many colours on its skin. Steelhead is another common name.		 Scientific Name
Oncorhynchus mykiss
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Oncorhynchus means hooked nose, describing the hooked snout of other species in this genus. The specific name mykiss means from Kamchatka, the region of north east Asia where this species was first described.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(62 kb)            
  Redfin
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Common Name
Redfin
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The common name refers to the bright red or orange markings on the pelvic, anal and lower tail fins. Other common names include Redfin Perch.		 Scientific Name
Perca fluviatilis
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Perca is the Latin word meaning perch and fluviatilis means from the river.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(43 kb)            
  River Blackfish
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Common Name
River Blackfish
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The common name comes from this fish’s preferred habitat and the dark colour of its skin. Other common names are Freshwater Blackfish, Slippery, Greasy, Tailor and Marbled River Cod.		 Scientific Name
Gadopsis marmoratus
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Gadopsis means like cod in Greek. Marmoratus  is from Latin and refers to the marbled pattern on the skin of this fish.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(60 kb)            
  Sea Mullet
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Common Name
Sea Mullet
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Mullet is from the Latin word for fish, and sea distinguishes this species from other freshwater members of this family. Other common names include bully mullet, mangrove mullet, hardgut mullet, paddy mullet and river mullet.		 Scientific Name
Mugil cephalus
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Mugil means fish in Latin and cephalus means head.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(54 kb)            
  Short-finned Eel
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Common Name
Short-finned Eel
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Called short-finned because its dorsal fin is shorter than that of the Long-finned Eel. Eels are fish that have long, thin, cylindrical bodies. Another common name is Silver Eel.		 Scientific Name
Anguilla australis
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The genus name Anguilla  is the Latin word for eel and australis  means southern.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(50 kb)            
  Short-headed Lamprey
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Common Name
Short-headed Lamprey
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Short-headed refers to the length of the head. The origin of the word Lamprey is unknown. 		Scientific Name
Mordacia mordax
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Mordacia means biting and mordax means voracious.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(35 kb)            
  Silver Perch
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Common Name
Silver Perch
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Called silver because of the colour of the skin, and perch because it looks like a Perch. Other common names are Bidyan, Black or Silver Bream and Grunter.		 Scientific Name
Bidyanus bidyanus
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The genus and species names come from the Aboriginal name for this fish.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(41 kb)            
  Southern Purple-spotted Gudgeon
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Common Name
Southern Purple-spotted Gudgeon
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This fish has many purple to dark red spots on its skin, and is one of the small, bottom-living fish known as Gudgeons. Other common names are Purple-striped Gudgeon, Chequered Gudgeon, Trout Gudgeon, Koerin and Kurrin.		 Scientific Name
Mogurnda adspersa
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The origin of the genus name Mogurnda  is unclear, but may compare this fish to other bottom-dwelling fish called Gurnards. The species name means scattered, referring to the spots on the fish.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(78 kb)            
  Southern Pygmy Perch
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Common Name
Southern Pygmy Perch
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Pygmy perch refers to the perch-like appearance of the species and pygmy refers to the small adult size. Southern refers to the specific name (australis) which means southern. 		Scientific Name
Nannoperca australis
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Nannoperca means dwarf perch, australis means southern.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(49 kb)            
  Spangled Perch
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Common Name
Spangled Perch
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Called spangled because of the rusty-coloured spots on its body. Other common names are Trout Cod, Jewel Perch, Bobby Perch or Cod and Spangled Grunter.		 Scientific Name
Leiopotherapon unicolor
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Leiopotherapon  means smooth-shouldered perch. The species name means one colour.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(50 kb)            
  Trout Cod
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Common Name
Trout Cod
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Called trout because the markings on some individuals resemble those of Trout, and cod because it is a member of the Australian Freshwater Cod family. Other common names are Bluenose Cod and Blue Cod.		 Scientific Name
Maccullochella macquariensis
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The genus was named after A.R. MacCulloch, a fish scientist at the Australian Museum in the early 1900s. This species is named after the Macquarie River, which took its name from Governor Lachlan Macquarie.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(70 kb)            
  Weatherloach
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Common Name
Weatherloach
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Called weatherloach because it is reported to be restless during changes in weather. Other names are Japanese weatherloach, Japanese loach, Japanese weatherfish, mud loach and weatherfish.		 Scientific Name
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
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Misgurnus means not a gurnard and anguillicaudatus means tail like an eel.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(55 kb)            
  Western Carp Gudgeon
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Common Name
Western Carp Gudgeon
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The origin of the Carp Gudgeon name is unknown. It is thought that Western refers to the distribution of the species which is mainly in the western (inland) areas of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia (although the species can also be found in some coastal streams in Queensland and northern New South Wales).		 Scientific Name
Hypseleotris klunzingeri
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Hypseleotris means Hyps (deep or tall) eleotris (a gudgeon) klunzingeri is C.B. Klunzinger, a fish taxonomist.
  Link. Hear the Scientific Name.(79 kb)            

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Page Last Updated: 10 Aug 2006 17:30