Neochanna apoda Günther, 1867
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 brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda) is a galaxiid endemic to New Zealand. The species is found in wetlands in the southwest of the North Island and the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. It commonly grows to 100–130 mm (3.9–5.1 in) in length, and it can live to at least 7 years. They are named for their brown color.
The dorsal and anal fins of the brown mudfish are very long-based, extending close to the caudal fin, nearly joining it.
It inhabits shallow swamp-forest wetlands. If the water dries out over summer, it is able to aestivate in damp areas, such as under logs and in root holes, until the water returns.
In 2014, the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the brown mudfish as "At Risk: Declining" with qualifier "C(1/1) >100,000 mature individuals, predicted decline 10–70%", and the IUCN rated them as "Endangered".
Wikipedia contributors, Brown mudfish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:18:43.772621+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Neochanna apoda Günther, 1867
- Name authority
- Günther, 1867
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Galaxiiformes
- Family
- Galaxiidae
- Genus
- Neochanna
- 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
- genusNeochanna Günther, 1867
- speciesNeochanna apoda Günther, 1867
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Neochanna. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Neochanna burrowsius (Phillipps, 1926) | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neochanna cleaveri (Scott, 1934) | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neochanna rekohua (Mitchell, 1995) | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neochanna diversus Stokell, 1949 | GalaxiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neochanna heleios Ling & Gleeson, 2001 | 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.
- Günther, A. (1867). On a new form of mudfish from New Zealand. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), v. 20 (no. 119) (art. 39): 305–309, Pl. 7. [Also as a separate, pp. 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222936708646334 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:46CMV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.