Galaxiella pusilla 

Dwarf Galaxia are only found in southern Victoria from the Michell River Basin near Bairnsdale to Dandenong Creek (Including Baw Baw Shire) and the northeast and northwest corner of Tasmania. Females are up to 40mm and males up to 34mm. Dwarf Galaxia is a protected species in Victoria. https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/sp_dwarf_galaxias.php

Dwarf Galaxias are tiny, scaleless freshwater fish endemic to south-eastern Australia. The species is listed as Vulnerable under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

The National Recovery Plan for these small fish: www.awe.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/recovery-plans/national-recovery-plan-dwarf-galaxias-galaxiella-pusilla says that: ‘Dwarf Galaxias are still widely distributed, but populations are fragmented and patchy across the landscape. It is likely that the species has suffered a significant decline in abundance due to habitat changes to shallow freshwater wetlands, especially wetland drainage. This decline appears to be continuing, as several populations have become extinct in recent decades.’

Dwarf Galaxias are often found in shallow water amongst heavy vegetation at the edges of still or slow flowing water in ponds, billabongs, swamps, backwaters and drains. They are often associated with yabbies taking shelter in yabby burrows when threatened.