Galaxias prognathus Stokell, 1940
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 longjawed galaxias (Galaxias prognathus) is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in rivers and streams at mid to high altitudes on the eastern side of the Southern Alps in the South Island of New Zealand.
Longjawed galaxias are slender and elongate, having coloration consisting of spots and indistinct bands of various shades of brown and grey. The single dorsal and anal fins are about two thirds of the way along the body. Like all galaxiids it lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus. The lower jaw is forward of the upper, giving rise to its common name. It grows to a length of up to 9 cm.
It is New Zealand's rarest native fish, sometimes known as ‘jaws’.
Wikipedia contributors, Longjawed galaxias; 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 prognathus Stokell, 1940
- Name authority
- Stokell, 1940
- 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: no · 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 prognathus Stokell, 1940
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 postvectis Clarke, 1899 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Galaxias truttaceus Valenciennes, 1846 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
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.
- Stokell, G. (1940). A new species of Galaxias. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, v. 69 (pt 4): 422–424, Pl. 57. 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:3F2WY. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.