Evolutionary Histories and Futures of the Fishes of the Lake Eyre Basin

Persistence of fishes in extreme environments, such as deserts, relies on populations being connected by movement of individuals. This thesis uses genetics to investigate the biological traits and environmental variables that contribute to such connectedness within five species of desert fish in central Australia. The results show that species’ traits, especially dispersal ability, are the main drivers of connectivity between populations, given sufficient hydrological links. Fish populations with low connectedness appear to be more vulnerable to future threats. This research shows that information on how species maintain connectedness allows us to understand how they persist.