Elected representatives in government are in charge of the policy and funding that can make or break saving threatened species. Their decisions and actions matter.

Ballarat has or used to have 22 threatened animals within its boundaries. One of them is me, the Yarra Pygmy Perch.

We took care to attach appropriate images that are as close to representative of each species as our resources and the availability of images allowed. However, we could not ensure perfect accuracy in every case. Some images show species that share the same genus but not at the species or subspecies level.

Yarra Pygmy Perch

Nannoperca obscura

Status: Vulnerable

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists threatened species under six categories:
Extinct, Extinct in the wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Conservation dependent. Read more about these categories

Nannoperca obscura is found across 11 electorates.

The Yarra Pygmy Perch is a dusky, pale, brownish-grey, sometimes greenish fish with a pale belly, spots along the midline, and clear, faint yellow to black fins. It has been known to grown up to 7.5 cm but more commonly grows to about 6.5 cm. Unlike other members of the genus, the Yarra Pygmy Perch has a pre-orbital bone that is not completely covered by skin, exposing its serrated lower edge.¹

Explore more about this species on the Atlas of Living Australia

Changed surface and groundwater regimes