Native fish in Australia have been fighting tooth and fin for survival and its time we paid attention. On this episode of OzCast Out of Sight Out of Mind, Australia's authority on endangered freshwater fish and invasive species Mark Lintermans takes us through the ins and outs of the history and problems facing some of our little-known freshwater fish that are struggling to survive. In particular, the trout cod Maccullochella macquariensis and stocky galaxias, Galaxias tantangara.  

Mark Lintermans is considered a leading expert in Australian freshwater ecology and fish conservation in Australia and has received several awards for his contributions in the field. He is the author of more than 300 books and articles on the subject. This podcast takes listeners on a journey through the history of some of these unknown species, and their journey to discovery and now survival in Australia.  

Surprisingly, Mark tells listeners that it wasn't until the late 1970s, that trout cod were known as a species. And we still only have a very limited understanding of small-bodied species like the stocky galaxias. Offering personal anecdotes about his role in the discovery of these species, Mark explains how long we have to go to completely understand the needs of freshwater fish in Australia. 

Mark, known to many simply as 'Linto', first developed his passion for fish as a child through snorkelling and spearfishing with his dad around the rock platforms in Western Port Bay in Victoria. Since the early 1980s, he has specialised in the study of freshwater fish, specialising in the ecology and management of threatened fish; the impacts of introduced fish; and how to manage the major threats to freshwater habitats and their fauna. His career has centred around the fish of the Murray-Darling Basin, but he has also conducted research in the Wet