It has a thickset body with a long head, slender snout,[2] and the characteristic cylindrical trunk shared by other fish in the family Galaxiidae.

Freshwaters habitats along with land locking often isolate aquatic taxa leading to allopatric speciation events between Galaxias species.

They frequently feed in the water column but tend to be benthic, preferring the sheltered rocky lakeshores, lake beds, and wetland habitats.

The adult diet mainly consists of aquatic and terrestrial insects, small crustaceans, and molluscs; this includes cannibalism of eggs and juvenile fish.

Eggs have a sticky coating that adheres to the cobble substrate or aquatic vegetation at depths of 200–600 mm (7.9–24 in) in a scattered formation.

Fertilized eggs incubate for around 30–45 days in the wild with peak larval hatching occurring during late winter to early spring.

Anthropogenic activities in and around the lakes have increased pollution of the waterways and disturbed the habitats and waters occupied by the Golden galaxias.

The building of dams across water bodies for hydroelectric power generation has contributed significantly to habitat loss resulting in further species decline.

The greatest threat to natural Golden galaxias populations is the low water levels in Lakes Crescent and Sorell.

A prolonged drought event in the late 1990s and early 2009 resulted in record low lake levels aggravated by the extraction of water.

[6] The increasing severity and prevalence of dry climatic conditions in recent years are predicted to impact the species negatively.

It has been observed that they change their behavior to avoid predation however, this has had indirect impacts on their feeding, growth, reproduction, and habitat use patterns.

[6] Their high fecundity and ability to produce a lot of eggs means that they outcompete the Golden galaxias for feeding, spawning, and refuge sites.

The carp are ecosystem engineers that modify the waterways through their feeding style making habitats unsuitable for the Golden galaxias.

These barrier screens use 5 mm (0.2 in) mesh which unfortunately impedes the free movement of Golden galaxias between the lakes (with only the smallest individuals able to cross).

Providing adequate habitat and reducing disturbance (through the careful monitoring of anthropogenic activities in or around the lake) has been shown to increase the survivability of the species, thereby allowing populations to rebound.