Range and Identity
Kuhlia rupestris occurs from East Africa toward Samoa, with northern records around the Ryukyus and southern records in Australia and New Caledonia. Its presence in fresh water does not exclude a marine connection. Exact locality and life stage help interpret coastal and inland observations.
Habitat and Behavior
Adults use estuaries and middle river reaches, often in clear, relatively fast streams. Rocky pools below waterfalls and rainforest streams are recorded settings. Fallen figs can join small fishes, insects and crustaceans in the diet, connecting streamside vegetation directly to feeding.
Food and Life History
The upper references are forty-five centimeters total length and 2.7 kilograms. Adults move downstream toward estuaries or the sea to reproduce, although detailed breeding behavior remains poorly documented. A presumed lack of guarding should not be presented as a directly observed universal rule.
Field Note
Retain the connection between the river and coast in habitat notes. A fish feeding below a waterfall may still depend on downstream waters during reproduction.
All Lakes With Rock Flagtail
Browse all lakes and reservoirs with confirmed Rock Flagtail records in our database, listed alphabetically.
No published lakes are currently linked to this species in our confirmed records.