Taxonomy

All records of Gambusia affinis for Australia are now considered to be damnbusia (G. holbrooki) (Lloyd & Tomasov 1985). Past records referring to Domingo mosquito fish, (G. dominicensis) were based on a misidentification of damnbusia.

Size

To around 60mm (2.4in) TL.

Introduced Distribution & Abundance

Damnbusia are widespread and common in Cooper Creek and the Neales and Diamantina Rivers. A few other isolated populations exist around Lake Eyre, ie parts of Frome River System, Clayton Bore (South Australian Museum records), isolated parts of the Bulloo-Bancannia Drainage Division (Australian Museum records), and the Nullabour Drainage (Glover 1982). They are also known from a reservoir associated with the sewage plant at Woomera in the Gairdner Drainage since 1956-7 where they were probably unintentionally introduced during local flooding, (Glover 1982). Populations reported from the Todd River Drainage (Thompson 1982) are now extinct (Unmack unpub data). Damnbusia have been widely introduced around Australia for mosquito control since the 1920's. Today they are widespread throughout much of south-eastern and south-western Australia. Native to the eastern United States of America (Merrick & Schmida 1984).

Threats to Other Species

Damnbusia appear to have caused few problems to Central Australian native fish populations. This is probably due to the lack of alteration to river flows. However, they are reported to have caused a decrease in fish populations inhabiting non riverine habitats, for example, Clayton Bore (Glover 1989), and springs (Unmack & Brumley 1990; Unmack 1992; Wager & Unmack in prep.). Non riverine habitats, such as springs, provide a more stable environment than rivers. Thus, damnbusia are typically more abundant in springs.

Important References

Glover, C. J. M. 1982. Adaptations of fishes in arid Australia. In, Evolution of the Flora and Fauna of Arid Australia. Eds. Barker, W. R. & Greenslade, P. J. M., pp 241-246. Peacock Publications, Adelaide.

Glover, C. J. M. 1989. Fishes. In, Natural History of Dalhousie Springs. Eds. Zeidler, W. & Ponder, W. F. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. pp 89-112.

Lloyd, L. N. & Tomasov J. F. 1985. Taxonomic status of the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Poecilliidae), in Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 36, 447-51.

Merrick, J. R. & Schmida, G. E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes: Biology and Management. Griffith Press Ltd. 409pp.

Thompson, G. 1982. Fish collecting on a part round Australia trip. Fishtales. 13(7) :6-10. (Journal of the Eastern Districts Aquarium Society, Melbourne, Australia).

Unmack, P. 1992. Further observations on the conservation status of the redfinned blue-eye. Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association Bulletin. 12: 8-9.

Unmack, P. & Brumley, C. 1991. Initial observations on the spawning and conservation status of the redfinned blue-eye, (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis). Fishes of Sahul. 6(4): 282-284. (Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Assocation, Australia).

Wager, R. N. E. & Unmack, P. J. (in prep.) Threatened fishes of the world, Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis.

This file was last modified:  18 March 2003