Species Gadopsis marmorata Richardson, 1848
River Blackfish, Blackfish, Freshwater Blackfish, Marble Cod, Marbled River Cod, Slimy, Slippery, Tasmanian Blackfish
- Gadopsis marmoratus Richardson, J. 1848. Ichthyology. 75-139 pls 42-43 & 44 (parts), 45-52, 53 in Richardson, J. & Gray, J.E. (eds). The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., during the years 1839–43. London : Smith, Elder & Co. Vol. 2 139 pp. [122, pl. 59(6-11)] [genus name is a Greek word transliterated into Latin and under Article 30.1.2 of the ICZN is treated as feminine and hence species name must also be treated as feminine].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH skin, Murray River, South Australia. - Gadopsis breviceps Agassiz, J.L.R. 1844. Report on the fossil fishes of the London clay. Report of the 14th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 1844: 279-310 [308] [nom. nud.].
Type data:
Status unknown, locality unknown. - Gadopsis gracilis McCoy, F. 1879. Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria. Decade 3. Melbourne : George Robertson Vol. 1 1-50 pls 21-30. [39, pl. 27(2)].
Type data:
Syntype(s) NMV 56018–20 skins, Yarra River, VIC. - Gadopsis gibbosus McCoy, F. 1879. Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria. Decade 3. Melbourne : George Robertson Vol. 1 1-50 pls 21-30. [41].
Type data:
Holotype NMV A.4046, Bunyip River, Gippsland, VIC. - Gadopsis fuscus Steindachner, F. 1884. Ichthyologische Beiträge (13)1. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Fische Australiens. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 88(1): 1065-1108 figs 1-8 [dated 1883] [1105, pl. 1(2)].
Type data:
Syntype(s) NHMW 75837, SA.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part II. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 145–329 [329]
Introduction
Genetic studies have suggested that there is a northern and southern population that probably represent separate species (Miller et al. 2004). Kuiter (2013) split the southern population into two additional species, Gadopsis gracilis McCoy 1879 in the southeast of Victoria, and an undescribed species in the southwest. Further work is required to determine the validity of these species. Genetic studies (Hammer et al 2014, Unmack, et al. 2017) have suggested that additional species exist within the genus and the present classification is tentative.
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria
Extra Distribution Information
West-flowing streams in NSW, southern Queensland as far as the Condamine River; in the north only at altitudes above 600–900 m, in the south, found west and as low as 150 m elevation; in Victoria, occurs in tributaries of the Murray system and in south-flowing streams; absent from many smaller coastal streams, such as those in Otway Ranges; temperate.
Australian Endemic.
IBRA
NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Kanmantoo (KAN), King (KIN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)
Original AFD Distribution Data
Australian Region
- Australia
- New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin
- Queensland: Murray-Darling basin
- South Australia: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
- Tasmania
- Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
Ecological Descriptors
Freshwater.
Extra Ecological Information
Clear, fast-flowing mountain streams to sluggish, lowland rivers.
General References
Chilcott, S. J. & Humphries, P. 1996. Freshwater fish of northeast Tasmania with notes on the dwarf galaxias. Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston 103: 145-149 [145]
Hammer, M.P., Unmack, P.J., Adams, M., Raadik, T.A. & Johnson, J.B 2014. A multigene molecular assessment of cryptic biodiversity in the iconic freshwater blackfishes (Teleostei: Percichthyidae: Gadopsis) of south-eastern Australia. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 111(3): 521–540
Hammer, M.P. & Walker, K.F. 2004. A catalogue of South Australian freshwater fishes, including new records, range extensions and translocations. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 128(2): 85-97 [88]
Jackson, P.D., Koehn, J.D., Lintermans, M. & Sanger, A.C. 1996. Family Gadopsidae. pp. 186-190 in McDowall, R.M. (ed.). Freshwater Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Sydney : Reed Books 247 pp. [188]
Lake, J.S. 1978. Australian Freshwater Fishes. Melbourne : Thomas Nelson 160 pp. 140 figs. [65]
Lintermans, M. 2009. Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin — An Introductory Guide. Canberra : Murray-Darling Basin Commission 157 pp. [MDBC Publication Number 10/07] [92]
McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part II. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 145–329 [329] (in part)
Miller, A.D., Waggy, G., Ryan, S.G. & Austin, C.M. 2004. Mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequences support the existence of a third species of freshwater blackfish (Percicthyidae: Gadopsis) from south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61(2): 121–127
Unmack, P.J. 2001. Biogeography of Australian freshwater fishes. Journal of Biogeography 28: 1053-1089 [1062]
Unmack, P.J., Sandoval-Castillo, J., Hammer, M.P., Adams, M, Raadik, T.A. & Beheregaray, L.B. 2017. Genome-wide SNPs resolve a key conflict between sequence and allozyme data to confirm another threatened candidate species of river blackfishes (Teleostei: Percichthyidae: Gadopsis). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 109: 415-420
Whitley, G.P. 1962. The slippery or freshwater blackfish. The Education Gazette 66(2): 95-96
Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [52] (1802, in part)
Common Name References
Cadwallader, P.L. & Backhouse, G.N. 1983. A Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Victoria. Melbourne : F.D. Atkinson Government Printer 249 pp. figs. [124] (Marble Cod)
Lake, J.S. 1971. Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia. Melbourne : Nelson 61 pp. [41] (Tasmanian Blackfish)
Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. [389] (River Blackfish, Blackfish, Freshwater Blackfish, Marbled River Cod, Slimy, Slippery)
Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (River Blackfish)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-Jul-2023 | PERCICHTHYIDAE | 13-Mar-2024 | MODIFIED | |
| 29-Mar-2018 | PERCICHTHYIDAE | 13-Mar-2018 | MODIFIED | Dr Doug Hoese |
| 21-Nov-2012 | 21-Nov-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 30-Mar-2010 | MODIFIED |