Murray cod

The Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii, is a large predatory freshwater fish in the family Percichthyidae and the largest fish found exclusively in fresh water in Australia. Its name comes from the early Australian fish researcher Allan Riverstone McCulloch and the Peel River, where it was first described, and despite the common name it is not related to the marine cod of the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs through virtually the whole Murray-Darling basin, Australia's largest river system, from lowland reaches up to about 700 meters elevation in the southern basin and 1,000 meters in the north. Adults typically reach 80 to 100 centimeters, with records exceeding 1.8 meters, and they are carnivorous, eating fish, crustaceans, and freshwater mussels while guarding their eggs and larvae. The species has been listed as vulnerable under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act since 2003 after severe declines from overfishing, habitat degradation, and river regulation since European colonization.