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Alpine Galaxias

Alpine Galaxias

Alpine galaxias are a small, entirely freshwater native fish living in mid- to high-altitude streams draining the eastern and southern flanks of the Southern Alps.

They're not a target species for anglers — they're too small and protected — but they matter to anyone fishing South Island high-country water as a sign of a healthy, intact stream system.

Scientific Name: Galaxias paucispondylus

Also known as Alpine river galaxias

Physical Characteristics:
  • Speckled olive-green over a light brown base, scaleless, with thick mucus-covered skin — typical of the galaxiid family.
  • Distinctive white chevron-shaped marks in front of the dorsal fin, visible only on live fish — the clearest field mark separating this species from Canterbury galaxias and koaro.
  • More slender and elongate than Canterbury galaxias or koaro; single rounded dorsal fin set well back, two-thirds of the way along the body.
  • Grows to around 112 mm (about 11 cm) — larger than the closely related longjaw galaxias, which tops out near 87 mm.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Native to New Zealand; found only in the South Island, in mid- to high-altitude streams flowing from the Southern Alps — Canterbury, Marlborough, West Coast, and Southland.
  • Entirely freshwater — non-diadromous, meaning it completes its whole life cycle in fresh water and is not part of the whitebait run.
  • Shares many streams with longjaw galaxias but tends to occupy deeper, faster-flowing water than its close relative.
  • Indeterminate populations also recorded from the Manuherikia River and Southland, though their taxonomic status remains unresolved.

Key Locations

  • Canterbury — streams draining the eastern Southern Alps; one of the core areas for this species.
  • Marlborough — mid- to high-altitude tributaries within the species' northern South Island range.
  • West Coast — headwater streams on the western flank of the Alps.
  • Southland — the southern extent of the species' confirmed range.

Specific Spots

  • Deeper runs and swift riffles in high-country streams — faster water than longjaw galaxias typically use.
  • Spring-fed tributaries and headwater channels at mid to high elevation, including some that flow underground through gravel before joining main lake systems.

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