---
title: "Common Galaxias"
description: "Galaxias maculatus — Fish. The common galaxias (Galaxias maculatus) or inanga (from the Māori īnanga or īnaka) is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Galaxiidae that is widespread in the Southern Hemisphere."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/common-galaxias
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Common Galaxias

> Galaxias maculatus — Fish. The common galaxias (Galaxias maculatus) or inanga (from the Māori īnanga or īnaka) is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Galaxiidae that is widespread in the Southern Hemisphere.

- Scientific name: *Galaxias maculatus*
- Category: `fish` (Fish)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lakes & rivers)
- iNaturalist observations: 1690
- Wikidata: [Q44229](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44229)
- iNaturalist taxon: [321994](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/321994)

## Names

- en: Common Galaxias
- de: Fleckengalaxie
- es: Puyen chico
- pl: Galaks złoty

## Countries with the most observations

AU (344), NZ (342), CL (65), AR (19)

## Summary

The common galaxias (Galaxias maculatus) or inanga (from the Māori īnanga or īnaka) is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Galaxiidae that is widespread in the Southern Hemisphere. It is migratory, living in fresh water but spawning at river mouths, spending the first six months of its life at sea, and returning en masse in spring. Its vernacular names include cowfish, jollytail, common jollytail, eel gudgeon, inaka, native trout, pulangi, puye, slippery tarki, spotted minnow, Falklands minnow and whitebait.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_galaxias

## Photo

![Common Galaxias](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/common-galaxias/medium.jpg)

Photo: george_vaughan · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/287255078

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/common-galaxias?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).