Southern Pygmy Perch

Interesting Info

• The Southern Pygmy Perch is a small freshwater fish native to southern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania.
• They are typically found in slow-moving streams, ponds, and wetlands with abundant vegetation.
• The Southern Pygmy Perch is a sexually dimorphic species, meaning that males and females have different physical characteristics. Males are generally more colorful than females, with bright blue and orange markings on their fins.
• They are omnivorous and feed on a variety of small aquatic invertebrates, algae, and plant matter.
• They are considered a threatened species due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation and are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ under the Australian Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
• They are also listed as ‘Endangered’ in the state of Victoria and ‘Threatened’ in South Australia.
• Southern Pygmy Perch have been successfully bred in captivity, and these populations have been used to reintroduce the species to areas where it has become locally extinct.
• Southern Pygmy Perch have a relatively short lifespan, living for about 2-3 years in the wild.