The Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius), also known as the kowaro, is found only on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand.[3] Like other Neochanna species, it is a small, tubular and flexible fish which lacks scales. They are able to survive out of water in damp refuges if its wetland habitat dries out periodically over summer.[4]
The first Canterbury mudfish was described by W J Phillipps in 1926, from a specimen sent to him by Mr A. Burrows, a farmer from Oxford, North Canterbury. They were sent to him "alive in a tin box together with a quantity of damp earth, sent by parcel-post on a journey lasting over thirty hours, and arrived alive and extremely active."[5] Although Mr Burrows reported that he had found the fish aestivating in holes in the bank, the mudfish is named after the farmer rather than burrowing behaviour.[4]: 140
^West, D.; Franklin, P.; Crow, S.; David, B.; Allibone, R.; Closs, G.; Hitchmough, R.; Surrey, G. & Cooper, D. (2014). "Neochanna burrowsius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T14505A545821. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T14505A545821.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^Dunn, Nicholas R.; Allibone, Richard M.; Closs, Gerard P.; Crow, Shannan K.; David, Bruno O.; Goodman, Jane M.; Griffiths, Marc; Jack, Daniel C.; Ling, Nicholas. "Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fishes, 2017" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 24. Jonathan M. Waters and Jeremy R. Rolfe. Department of Conservation: 8.
^Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius) Archived 28 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, NIWA Atlas of New Zealand Freshwater Fishes, NIWA website, retrieved 2 March 2008.
^ abMcDowall, R.M. (1990). New Zealand Freshwater Fishes: A natural history and guide. Auckland: Heinemann Reed. ISBN 0 7900 0022 9.
^Phillips, W.J. (1926). "New or Rare Fishes of New Zealand". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 56: 531–2. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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