Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai
https://www.doc.govt.nz/
https://www.doc.govt.nz/
Introduction
New Zealand has 51 native freshwater fish species.Some species such as whitebait are migratory, moving between fresh and sea water environments to complete their lifecycles. Non-migratory species such as mudfish spend their entire life in freshwater.
Native fish are often secretive and can be hard to find. They tend to feed at night and hide during the day under cover such as logs, boulders, riverbanks and vegetation.
Adult fish are found in a variety of freshwater habitats. For example, giant kōkopu and īnanga tend to be found in lowland rivers, streams and wetlands, whereas kōaro can ‘climb’ up waterfalls and live in high mountainous, bouldery streams.
There are seven species of bullies in New Zealand. They are found in a range of freshwater habitats.
Banded kōkopu are a brown-red colour with pale vertical stripes (bands) across the sides and back of their bodies.
Giant kōkopu are the world’s largest galaxiid.
Kōaro have distinctive long, slim bodies that are covered in light and dark patches and bands.
Eels live in most of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Lamprey are primitive, jawless fish. They look like eels but are more closely related to sharks and rays.
New Zealand's mudfish are small, native freshwater fish, regarded as a treasure to iwi.
Non-migratory galaxiids belong to an ancient, scaleless fish family called Galaxiidae – for the galaxy-like gold flecks and patterns on their backs.
Whitebaiters call smelt ‘cucumber fish’. There are two species of these small shimmering silver fish.
Torrentfish are the most common fish in braided rivers, living in fast-flowing stretches of open rivers.
These rare, native fish are only found in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Whitebait are the juveniles of six species of fish. Five of these are migratory galaxiids: inanga, banded kōkopu, giant kōkopu, kōaro and shortjaw kōkopu. The sixth species is common smelt.