Australian region Freshwater Fishes

Australian region

The Australian region has only two species of primary freshwater fishes, both ancient relicts of a much wider archaic distribution pattern (see below). Two families of secondary and 16 families of peripheral freshwater fishes of marine origin include freshwater species of catfishes (two marine families, Ariidae and Plotosidae), silversides (Atherinidae), rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae), halfbeaks (Zenarchopteridae), needlefishes (Belonidae), Teraponidae, Centropomidae, Percichthyidae, and gobies (Gobiidae).