Some Native Pond Fish for NSW

The fish in the table below are all found in various NSW rivers & streams & are small enough to make suitable pond specimens. The broad location in the state that they are found in is listed, along with an indicative size and if they are suitable for natural frog ponds.

Care should be taken with the pond siting and construction, so as to ensure that any fish escapes are not likely.  If you are in an area that has ever been flooded at any time in the past, then you should only use local area native fish in any ponds.

For a frog pond suitable pond vegetation should be included as cover for tadpoles, as even those fish that are indicated as "Frog Friendly" will attack small tadpoles.

Ambassis agassizii	Agassiz's Glassfish, Olive Glassfish
7cm	Coast north of Lake Hiawatha, Murray-Darling
	Occasionally available in aquarium shops
Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum	Fly-specked Hardyhead
6cm	Murray-Darling
Frog Friendly	Occasionally available in aquarium shops
Galaxias maculatus	Common Jollytail
10cm	Coastal Rivers
	Rarely available in aquarium shops
Galaxias olidus	Mountain Jollytail
8cm	Coastal Rivers & upper parts of dividing Range (both sides)
Hypseleotris compressa	Empire Gudgeon
10cm	Coastal rivers
	Commonly available in aquarium shops
Hypseleotris galii	Firetail Gudgeon
5cm  -  Frog Friendly	Coastal rivers
	Often sold in aquariums as "feeder fish"
Hypseleotris klunzingeri	Western Carp Gudgeon
4.5cm - Frog Friendly	Murray-Darling & Coastal north of Hunter River
Melanotaenia duboulayi	Crimson Spotted Rainbowfish
8cm	Coastal Rivers north of Hastings River.
	Sometimes available in aquarium shops.  Excellent for mosquito control.
Melanotaenia Fluviatilis	Murray River Rainbowfish
8cm	Murray-Darling
	Very widely available in aquarium shops.  Excellent for mosquito control.
Pseudomugil signifer	Pacific Blue Eye
5cm - Frog Friendly	Coastal rivers
	Available in aquarium shops - check that they are NSW forms the North QLD forms are not suitable
Retropina semoni	Australian Smelt
6cm - Frog Friendly	All of state
	Rarely available - care needed when handling
Rhadinocentrus ornatus	Ornate Rainbowfish
5cm - Frog Friendly	Coastal rivers North of Coffs Harbour
	Occasionally available from aquarium shops.