Salamanderfish

Interesting Info

• The Salamanderfish is a living fossil, belonging to its very own family (Lepidogalaxiidae) — it has no close relatives alive today.
• Found only in a small region of southwestern Western Australia, it lives in seasonal swamps, peat flats, and pools that often dry up in summer.
• Adults are tiny, growing only to about 4–6 cm (1.5–2.5 in) long, with a slender body and mottled brown colour that helps them blend into dark peat waters.
• They get their name because their movement is unusual for a fish — they can bend their body and “walk” across the bottom, almost like a salamander.
• To survive these harsh conditions, Salamanderfish have a unique ability: when pools dry, they burrow into damp soil and remain dormant until rains return. This is called aestivation.
• They can survive for months buried in the mud without water, an adaptation found in very few fish species worldwide.
• Their jaws are highly flexible, allowing them to protrude their mouth forward to grab tiny prey like insect larvae and crustaceans.
• They are one of the only fish that can turn their head side-to-side, giving them greater mobility when hunting in dense plants or shallow water.
• Breeding occurs in late winter to spring when swamps are full. Females scatter eggs among aquatic plants, and the young grow quickly to take advantage of the short wet season.
• Because they rely on seasonal wetlands, their distribution is extremely limited, mostly between Albany and Margaret River.
• Lifespan is short, usually 1–2 years, because many habitats dry out seasonally.