Maccullochella

Taxobox
name = "Maccullochella"
fossil_range = Miocene to Present [cite journal
last = Sepkoski
first = Jack
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera
journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology
volume = 364
issue =
pages = p.560
publisher =
location =
date = 2002
url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class
doi =
id =
accessdate = 2008-01-08 ]

---

image_caption = Murray cod, "Maccullochella peelii peelii"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Percichthyidae
genus = "Maccullochella"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =

"Maccullochella" is a genus of large Australian predatory freshwater fish within the Percichthyidae family. The "Maccullochella" genus was named after an early Australian fish researcher with the surname "McCulloch".

The "Maccullochella" species are called 'cod' in the vernacular.

At the time of European settlement of Australia, members of the "Maccullochella" genus dominated the Murray-Darling river system (Murray cod, "M.peelii peelii", and Trout cod, "M.macquariensis") and 4 East Coast river systems (eastern freshwater cod, "M.ikei", of the Clarence and Richmond Rivers, Brisbane River cod, "Maccullochella sp.", and Mary River cod, "M.peelii mariensis").

As large, long-lived, top-order predators with delayed sexual maturity and relatively low fecundity (fertility) "Maccullochella" species are extremely vulnerable to overfishing, siltation and other forms of habitat degradation, and river regulation by dams and weirs that alter river environments and negatively affect spawning and recruitment (survival) of young fish.

The "Maccullochella" species have not fared well since European settlement. All are endangered or critically endangered except for Murray cod, which are considered 'Threatened' and 'Vulnerable' under national and state legislation. There are grave concerns over the future of wild Murray cod now, as there for all the "Maccullochella" species.

pecies

* Murray Cod, "Maccullochella peelii peelii"
* Trout Cod, "Maccullochella macquariensis"
* Eastern Freshwater Cod, "Maccullochella ikei"
* Richmond River Cod, "Maccullochella ikei"
* †Brisbane River Cod, "Maccullochella sp.
* Mary River Cod, "Maccullochella peelii mariensis"

References