Macquaria

Taxobox
name = "Maquaria"


image_caption = Golden Perch, "Maquaria ambigua"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Percichthyidae
genus = "Macquaria"
subdivision =
subdivision_ranks = Species

The "Macquaria" genus is a genus of medium-sized, predatory native fish in the Percichthyidae family. The "Macquaria" genus was created by merging the old genera "Plectotripes" and "Macquaria" (Murray-Darling species) and "Percalates" (East Coast species). Thus the "Macquaria" genus currently holds the two species of native perch from the Murray-Darling Basin — golden perch ("Macquaria ambigua") and Macquarie perch ("Macquaria australasica") — and the two species of catadromous native perch in East Coast river systems — Australian bass ("Macquaria novemaculeata") and estuary perch ("Macquaria colonorum"). Latest research using DNA comparisons suggests that Australian bass and estuary perch may belong in a separate genus, which may thus result in the resurrection of the "Percalates" genus.

References

* Jerry, D.R., Elphinstone, M.S and Baverstock, P.R. (2001) Phylogenetic Relationships of Australian Members of the Family Percichthyidae Inferred from Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Sequence Data. "Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution" 18: 335–347