is carried by the current. Life cycle Unlike the more well-known 'whitebait' Galaxias species, G. eldoni is not diadromous; its entire life is spent in fresh water. It is long-lived, 15 years or longer; some fully-grown individuals have been tagged and then recaptured 10 years later. It is slow growing, reaching maturity at one (males) or two years (females). Females produce low numbers of large eggs during October. Spawning occurs at the stream edge in riffles, and eggs are laid directly into the stony stream bottom. Larvae hatch 4–6 weeks later. The larvae are large and are able to swim effectively; they do not disperse far from where they were spawned. Conservation This species is rated Nationally Endangered by the Department of Conservation and critically endangered by the IUCN, due to its small number of streams it occupies (an area of just 0.69 km2) and the threats of invasive species. Because G. eldoni lays very few eggs and has large, poorly dispersing fry, it is vulnerable to predation by introduced trout. Since the species was described in 1997 several small populations have been driven extinct from conversion of land to forestry or farming. The building of irrigation canals has allowed the closely related species Galaxias pullus to invade its range and hybridise with it. Currently there are protected areas for this species in the Lammerlaw Range, but they are vulnerable to being invaded by trout, or trout being deliberately introduced. References External links Eldon's galaxias discussed on RNZ Critter of the Week, 4 August 2017 Eldon's galaxias Endemic freshwater fish of New Zealand Fish of the South Island Taxa named by Bob McDowall Eldon's galaxias