Anatomy of Neochanna apoda Gunther, Galaxiidae

Abstract

Neochanna, a member of the fishes of the family Galaxiidae, has been of interest since the early days of colonization in New Zealand. People were amazed and intrigued that a healthy fish could be dug up from the ground and have apeculated on the mechanism used by Neochanna to adapt itself to such sub-terranean conditions. This factor determined the undertaking of this thesis which amounts to only a preliminary survey. Much remains to be done to complete the anatomy of Neochanna itself, much more to study the fishes with which it is classified and test the validity of assumed affinities. Work done on the Galaxiidae in New Zealand has been largely the description of external features. The study of anatomy and life history has been confined to Galaxias attenuatus, covered by the unpublished theses of McKenzie (1934/5) and officers of the Marine Department; Stokell (1945) has examined the pyloric caeca of the family. The muscular, vascular, alimentary, urinogenital and respiratory systems of Neochanna were studied for this thesis and a brief statistical analysis of certain external features carried out.