Galaxias postvectis Clarke, 1899
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The shortjaw kōkopu (Galaxias postvectis) is a galaxiid ray-finned fish, endemic to New Zealand. They are large, scaleless fish that inhabit stable pools in cascading, boulder-strewn streams with forest cover. Shortjaw kōkopu are amphidromous, with the fry going to sea after hatching, and returning as juveniles to fresh water where they grow to adulthood. They may grow to a maximum of 350 mm (14 in) in total length, but more commonly reach 150–200 mm (5.9–7.9 in).
The shortjaw kōkopu live in microhabitats that have more large particles at the bed of the body of water (substrates) and more places to seek safety compared to all nearby possible habitats. During the night, they remain in calmer areas like pools, whereas during the day shortjaw kōkopu spend their time in places with large substrates and a more tumultuous water surface, staying in both flow channel and pool habits.
In 2023 a newly recorded population of this species was detected in the Kopuawhara catchment north of Māhia Peninsula in Hawkes Bay using environmental DNA.
Wikipedia contributors, Shortjaw kōkopu; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:33:53.436727+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Galaxias postvectis Clarke, 1899
- Name authority
- Clarke, 1899
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Galaxiiformes
- Family
- Galaxiidae
- Genus
- Galaxias
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderGalaxiiformes
- familyGalaxiidae Müller, 1845
- subfamilyGalaxiinae Müller, 1845
- genusGalaxias Cuvier, 1816
- speciesGalaxias postvectis Clarke, 1899
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Galaxias. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxias cobitinis McDowall & Waters, 2002 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias fasciatus Gray, 1842 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias fontanus Fulton, 1978 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias globiceps Eigenmann, 1928 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias johnstoni Scott, 1936 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias macronasus McDowall & Waters, 2003 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias neocaledonicus Weber & de Beaufort, 1913 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias occidentalis Ogilby, 1899 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias parvus Frankenberg, 1968 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias paucispondylus Stokell, 1938 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias truttaceus Valenciennes, 1846 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias vulgaris Stokell, 1949 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Galaxias charlottae Whitley & Phillipps, 1939 Whitley & Phillipps, 1939 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Clarke, F. E. (1899). Notes on New Zealand Galaxidae, more especially those of the western slopes; with descriptions of new species. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, v. 31 (1898): 78–91, Pls. 4–5. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3F2WX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.