Evie Simpson - Tasmanian Galaxiids
$200.00
Tasmanian Galaxiids
This work was submitted by the artist as part of Wild Island's biannual Threatened Species Project. Proceeds from the sale of this work have been donated by the artist and Wild Island to organisations directly working in species support.
Threatened Species Project
A WILD ISLAND EXHIBITION RAISING AWARENESS OF TASMANIA'S THREATENED SPECIES
There are 683 species of plants and animals, including insects and other invertebrates, on Tasmania's Threatened Species List. Yes, there are the iconic ones so many people know about, but there are numerous species that are tiny, little known or ‘less attractive’, which are no less important to our rich and varied eco-system. This new exhibition will expand our understanding of the range & diversity of threatened species and educate of their plight. It also aims to raise much needed funds to go towards their support. It’s a small thing we can do during an age of climate change, mass species decline and habitat loss.
Artist's Statement: Tasmanian Galaxiids
This piece shows the 11 species of threatened galaxiids in Tasmania, life sized and to scale. From top to bottom: the Swan galaxias (Galaxias fontanus), Clarence galaxias (Galaxias johnstoni), Swamp galaxias (Galaxias parvus), saddled galaxias (Galaxias tanycephalus), golden galaxias (Galaxias auratus), Pedder galaxias (Galaxias pedderensis), Arthur’s paragalaxias (Paragalaxias mesotes), Great Lake paragalaxias (Paragalaxias electroides), western paragalaxias (Paragalaxias julianus), Shannon paragalaxias (Paragalaxias dissimilis), and the dwarf galaxias (Galaxiella pusilla). All but the tiniest, the dwarf galaxia, are endemic to Tasmania.
These fish inhabit a range of freshwater bodies around Tasmania, from lakes and rivers in the Central Highlands and the southwest, to streams in the east and small stagnant pools along the north coast. All threatened Tasmanian galaxiids have naturally restricted ranges, making them incredibly vulnerable to the plethora of threats to their survival, including predation from the introduced brown trout and redfin perch,
Tasmania’s freshwater systems and the species that rely on them are in trouble, but are often overlooked in the face of other, more high profile threatened species. The plight of these Tasmanian galaxiids are no exception. Some, like the Pedder galaxias, have been brought back from the brink of extinction through translocations to other lakes, while others, like the Swan and dwarf galaxias, teeter on the edge.
