The primary threat to the Swan galaxias is predation from exotic and introduced species, poor water quality, extreme climatic conditions and human activities such as agriculture and damming.

[10] The species was first discovered by ichthyologist Wayne Fulton in 1978 in Hardings Falls situated on the Swan River in Eastern Tasmania.

[4] Fulton's genus name for the species, fontanus ("fast running"), was derived from Greek mythology, in reference to the rapidly moving river the fish is found in.

[11] In 1864, brown trout (Salmo trutta) was introduced into the Swan River catchment and inhabits the downstream tributaries of the Hardings Falls.

[6] They specifically eat adult forms of terrestrial insects (typically ants, beetles, grasshoppers and crickets) that fall into the water from the sidestream vegetation.

Other prey they routinely feed off is aquatic insects (such as stoneflies, dragonflies and mayflies) and small planktonic crustaceans (such as water fleas, krill and copepods).

[6] Spawning occurs in the adult habitat with the deposition of eggs amongst the shallow marginal lotic and lentic rocky environment.

[6] In aquaculture environments, Swan galaxias' artificially fertilised eggs hatch in temperatures between 11.5 to 18.5 degrees Celsius and have a 17-day incubation period.

[5] The spread of these species has confined the natural population of the Swan galaxias to become fragmented and only present in headwaters of a small number of streams.

[12] The threat of damming creeks in which the Swan galaxias inhabits can result in barriers to the species migrations, changes in flow regimes and fluctuations in stream water levels.

[12] Dams can also degrade the species spawning habitat as reduced water flow can expose the rocky bottom creek floor in which the Swan galaxias lay their eggs.

[9] The clearing of vegetation for farming practices and reductions in water quality caused by urban development present are a threat to the species.

[4] Because of the introduced exotic species occupying the downstream, the Swan Galaxias are not able to refuge from floods or droughts that affect the headwaters.

[13] Since the discovery of the fish species, the Swan galaxias' natural distribution has become restricted and fragmented confining three populations to a limited amount of streams and to those extreme headwaters.

[12] Habitat degradation includes the impacts of sedimentation and reductions in water quality as a result of urban development, agriculture and forestry practices.

Since the introduction of the brown trout (salmo trutt) and redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) there has been a decline in the Swan Galaxias species.

[11] The project aimed to conserve the species by offering management recommendations, which was adopted in the 'Action Plan for Australian Freshwater Fish'.

[5] In 1987, the Swan Galaxias was first introduced to the Blue Tier Creek to test the viability of translocation as a recovery action for the species.

[3] In 1989, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment renovated the existing natural barrier in Blue Tier Creek.

[13] The AFMA implemented the recovery actions detailed in the plan and funding was provided by the Endangered Species Program of Environment Australia (ESP).