Endangered populations - river blackfish in the Snowy River catchment
Important information
Scientific name - Gadopsis marmoratus
Distribution - River blackfish are a medium sized native fish that occur in the Snowy River catchment of the eastern (coastal) flowing drainages and the Murray-Darling basin in NSW, but these populations are genetically distinct and may in fact be separate species. River blackfish were once abundant in the Snowy River catchment, being caught right throughout the mid and upper reaches. This population has suffered a serious decline and is now found only along about 50km of waterways of the Delegate River and some of its tributaries.
Size - River blackfish have been recorded at a maximum of 333mm in length in the Snowy River catchment in NSW.
Characteristics - River blackfish have a slight mottled appearance and vary in colour from green or brown to almost black and they have a long slender body. River blackfish have large mouth, the upper jaw longer than the lower, and a dorsal fin that extents almost the length of the body; they are also characterised by the pelvic fins being reduced to a single branched ray emerging from underneath the throat.