Editing Trout cod (section)

==Habitat==

Although there is/was a very substantial overlap in range, trout cod are essentially a more specialised [[upland (freshwater ecology)|upland]] sister species to Murray cod.  Therefore, the trout cod's main habitats were the larger upland rivers and creeks, which they usually co-inhabited with [[Macquarie perch]] and one or both of the [[Gadopsis|blackfish]] species.  Historical research is confirming a primarily upland distribution for trout cod; recent governmental literature lacking such historical research and suggesting trout cod are primarily a lowland fish species '''must''' be considered inaccurate.

Division into specialist [[upland (freshwater ecology)|upland]] and ''primarily'' [[lowland (freshwater ecology)|lowland]] species is a relatively common phenomena in native fish genera of the Murray-Darling and East Coast systems with other notable pairs shown in the following table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Upland
! Lowland
|-
| [[Macquarie perch]], ''Macquaria australasica''
| [[Golden perch]], ''Macquaria ambigua''
|-
| [[Australian bass]], ''Macquaria novemaculeata'' 
| [[Estuary perch]], ''Macquaria colonorum''
|-
| [[Two-spined blackfish]], ''Gadopsis bispinosis'' 
| [[River blackfish]], ''Gadopsis marmoratus''
|-
| [[Mountain galaxias|Mountain galaxias species complex]], ''Galaxias spp.'' 
| [[Flathead galaxias (Australia)|Flathead galaxias]], ''Galaxias rostratus''
|}

Trout cod are often found close to cover and in faster currents and in cooler waters than Murray cod. Their diet is essentially the same as Murray cod with adjustment made for size, eating mainly other fishes, [[Unionidae|freshwater mussels]], [[crustacean]]s, aquatic [[insect]]s, small [[mammals]] and water fowl.  However, recent anecdotal evidence suggests terrestrial insects made up a significant proportion of the trout cod's diet in upland rivers and streams.

In the surviving Murray River population trout cod tend to stick to areas of deep water near banks, around snags, rocks or other large structure. However, historical accounts of trout cod in upland river habitats stated that trout cod were often found in shallow riffles and runs.  Generally speaking, radio-tracked trout cod in the surviving Murray River population have small home ranges and may be a species which does not move away from their original base, except during the breeding season when they follow a common trend in Murray-Darling fish of migrating upstream prior to spawning.  It seems likely that trout cod follow a similar pattern to Murray cod and return post spawning to their original location.