Flathead galaxias continue a pattern of speciation into upland and lowland habitats found in native Murray-Darling fishes.

The fish is similar in appearance to the common galaxias, except for a distinctly flattened head, larger eyes and longer snout.

They, along with a number of other small native forage fish, are disappearing from vast tracts of the Murray-Darling basin.

[2] Along with river regulation, destruction of water clarity and submergent macrophytes ("water weed") by exotic, illegally introduced common carp (Cyprinus carpio) appear to be having a devastating effect on this species.

Many or all of the small native forage fish of the southern Murray-Darling system apparently used these weeds beds for shelter, feeding, and spawning sites.