Juvenile form of the New Zealand turbot Colistium nudipinnis (Waite) (Pisces: Heterosomata: Rhombosoleinae) (note)

A juvenile (26 mm) specimen of the New Zealand turbot Colistium nudipinnis (Waite) is figured and described. Differences between the juvenile and adult forms, and characters distinguishing juvenile C. nudipinnis from the young of other New Zealand species of flatfish, are noted.     

Spawning site selection,egg development,and larval drift of Galaxias postvectis and G. fasciatus in a New Zealand stream

Twelve Galaxias postvectis (shortjaw kokopu) and four G. fasciatus (banded kokopu) spawning sites were found on the margins of the Katikara Stream, Taranaki, New Zealand. This is the first time G. postvectis spawning sites have been documented. G. fasciatus spawning sites discovered in this study confirm previous observations elsewhere in New Zealand. These spawning sites were all found out of water, variable distances from the base flow water level amongst stony substrate, vegetation, and debris. Most G. fasciatus appeared to lay their eggs, and subsequently hatch, c. 3 weeks earlier than G. postvectis, which spawned from 9 to 17 May 2001. G. brevipinnis (koaro) larvae were also identified drifting downstream in late May and mid June 2001. Deposition of eggs and subsequent hatching were found to be associated with elevated flows.     

Spawning and length‐weight of Barracouta (Teleostei: Gempylidae) from eastern cook strait

A sample of 244 barracouta, Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen), caught in eastern Cook Strait, New Zealand, between March 1966 and April 1967, was examined to determine the spawning season and length‐weight relationship.

Female barracouta ripened from April onwards, a month earlier than males. Females tended to attain maturity more rapidly than most males. October and November were the peak spawning months, although some barracouta (mainly females) were mature until January. The smallest spawning barracouta was 55 cm L.C.F. Disappearance of barracouta preceding the spawning months suggested a spawning migration.

A mathematical analysis of the length‐weight data was used to predict one value from the other, and to obtain an index of the relationship (i.e., a condition factor). There was no significant difference between the slope of the regression line n for males and females, the equations being W = 0.03867. L^2.5209 and W = 0.07391 .L^2.3687 respectively. The equation for the regression line for all barracouta, W = 0.05893 . L^2.4222, had an exponent value n lower than expected for a length‐weight relationship of unmutilated fish. The condition factor of barraoouta, measured at monthly intervals, gave a good indication of the spawning cycle.     

Reproduction in the intertidal limpet Cellana ornata in southern New Zealand

The reproductive cycle of the abundant intertidal limpet Cellana ornata (Dillwyn 1817) was examined over 19 months, covering two breeding periods, on a rocky intertidal platform in southern New Zealand. A gonad index was calculated, and histological sections were used to count the numbers of mature and immature eggs present. Fecundity was estimated using counts of eggs before and after spawning. To determine any variation between sites, the gonad index of limpets at a second site dominated by boulders was examined over 6 months during the second breeding period. C. ornata had a single spawning period annually during summer, with greatest gonad sizes in January‐February. There were significant differences in peak gonad indices between two breeding seasons on the platform. Within the second breeding period, both the timing and magnitude of peak gonad development differed between sites, with lower reproductive output at the boulder site. Fecundity increased with increasing size, but individuals are probably capable of reproducing after their first year on the shore. The life history of this species is discussed in comparison to other limpets in New Zealand.     

Reproductive biology of the leatherjacket,Meuschenia scaber (Monacanthidae) (Forster 1801) in the Hauraki Gulf,New Zealand

The leatherjacket Meuschenia scaber is widely distributed in Australasian waters, and is a valued bycatch of inshore bottom trawl fisheries although little is known of its life history. Here, we describe the reproductive biology of the species based on 651 leatherjackets sampled in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, between July 2014 and March 2016. The maximum total length (L_T) recorded for females and males were 320 and 315?mm, respectively, with both sexes present in all size classes. Monthly analysis of gonad condition revealed a clear spawning season from late austral winter to early summer (August–December), and histological analysis of the ovaries revealed that M. scaber is an indeterminate serial spawning gonochorist. The estimated sizes at sexual maturity (L₅₀) for females (189.9?mm L_T) and males (188.4?mm L_T) did not differ significantly. Relatively small testes, sexual dimorphism and underwater observation of nesting suggest that M. scaber is a paired spawner.     

Reproductive cycle and gonadial changes in the New Zealand rock oyster Crassostrea glomerata

The annual reproductive cycle and the cyclical changes in the gonad of the New Zealand rock oyster, Crassostrea glomerata (Gould, 1850), during the breeding period of 1970–71 and 1971–72 have been described. The gonad passes through an intermediate phase, after a post‐spawning period, when sex is indeterminate. Gametogenesis begins in July and August, but follicles ripen mostly during the spring months of October and November. Maximum development is seen in November, and nearly all oysters are in spawning condition in December and January. Major spawning takes place in January or February depending upon water temperature, and spawning continues until the end of March. Larvae may be found in the‐ plankton until late in the season, to the end of April or even May. Following spawning, gonadial regression sets in, with leucocyte infiltration and phagocytosis of residual gonial cells. A greater percentage of oysters more than 1 y old are females. The majority of oysters of age 1 y and below are males.     

Developing yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and hāpuku (Polyprion oxygeneios) for New Zealand aquaculture

Two high value species, yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and hāpuku (groper, Polyprion oxygeneios), have been identified as suitable new candidates for New Zealand aquaculture. This paper reviews the research by NIWA and collaborators conducted to test the biological, technological and economic feasibility of farming these two species. NIWA now has the capability to produce sufficient kingfish fingerlings per year to meet the needs of the early stages of an industry. Advances in hāpuku aquaculture have also been significant, from spawning in captivity through to the selection of juveniles for improved growth. Recently, the first spawning of captive hāpuku F1 broodstock and production of F2 eggs, larvae and juveniles was achieved. Although hāpuku larval survival remains variable, the ability to close the life cycle, and the availability of domesticated broodstock, provide a significant step forward and increase the chances of this species being commercially farmed.     

Timing and habitat of koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) spawning in streams draining MtTaranaki,New Zealand

A spawning site of Galaxias brevipinnis Giinther was located in a New Zealand stream for the first time. It was at the edge of a riffle and only partially submerged. The habitat used for spawning matched that described for G. brevipinnis in Australia. Spawning was estimated to have occurred between late April and early May and the eggs hatched in late May. The species of fish spawning was identified by rearing the eggs through to identifiable juveniles and by DNA sequencing of one individual.     

Estimated intensity needed for sampling flatfish assemblages in reference areas of tidal mud flats systems may be disproportionately costly and deleterious

Beam trawl surveys were carried out in a tidal stream system of the German Wadden Sea on two to three successive days of comparable weather conditions in three summers. The variability in time and space detected for plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), flounder (Platichthys flesus), dab (Limanda limanda), sole (Solea solea) and lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) was considerable even for species with a very high abundance. Other flatfish species such as turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) occurred only occasionally in the catches. Sampling effort calculated to detect a 50 or 20% difference between the surveys caused by immigration, emigration or mortality appears to be disproportionate. It is argued that such a major sampling effort of reference areas in tidal mud flat systems is likely to influence the results, to harm the environment, and to be very expensive.     

Sea surface ichthyoplankton off southeastern New Zealand,summer 1977–78

Plankton samples from the Chatham Rise, Pukaki Rise, and Campbell Plateau provided information on the young stages of a number of poorly known New Zealand fish species, and on the presence of a large spawning area of barracouta, Thyrsites atun, over the Mernoo Bank, The Chatham Rise was more important as a spawning area than the areas further south.     

Gametogenic development and spawning of the razor clam,Zenatia acinaces in northeastern New Zealand

The potential exists for New Zealand to exploit already established markets for razor clams through development of fisheries or aquaculture industries for the New Zealand razor clam, Zenatia acinaces. However, fishery or aquaculture development for Z. acinaces requires an understanding of the reproductive cycle including the timing of gametogenic development and spawning. The reproductive cycle of Z. acinaces was studied over an 11‐month period from May 2000 to March 2001 at Kennedy Bay, Coromandel Peninsula, using qualitative standard histological analysis and quantitative measures of oocytes. Histological analysis indicated that Z. acinaces is dioecious and gametogenic development was synchronous between the sexes. Gametogenesis began in June with gametes maturing quickly and by August/September (late winter/ early spring) most razor clams were ripe. Spawning began as early as September (spring) although spawning mainly occurred during October. By December (summer), nearly all clams were completely spent. From January 2001 most clams could not be sexed as all residual gametes were resorbed. Razor clams remained in this stage during March 2001. Spawning began when the water temperature was around its lowest, c. 15°C. Monthly mean number of eggs/follicle was sensitive to changes in reproductive development, closely following patterns observed in the qualitative stagings. Patterns of monthly mean oocyte diameters did not adequately describe the spawning events observed in qualitative analyses. Sex ratios were equal over the size range (69–99 mm shell length) of clams that could be sexed. The data presented in this study provide valuable information on the timing of spawning events for Z. acinaces, necessary for developing sustainable management strategies and selecting broodstock for aquaculture.     

Ecology of New Zealand abalones,Haliotis species (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

The spawning season of Haliotis iris Martyn, as indicated by a gonad index and examination of ovaries, was late summer to autumn at Kaikoura, New Zealand, in 1967–68. In contrast, H. australis Gmelin spawned twice, once in the spring and again in the late summer to autumn. Both patterns are typical of haliotids. But in the 1968–69 year neither species spawned; full gonads with apparently ripe eggs were maintained through the winter of 1969. No reason for this inconsistency can be offered. Haliotis iris at Taylors Mistake, 154 km south, followed essentially the same pattern as Kaikoura H. iris through 1968, but spawned slightly in autumn 1969.

Haliotis iris first produces mature eggs when it is about 60 mm long and probably spawns substantially for the first time when it is 4 years old. Although fecundities of larger animals reached about 11 million eggs, not all of these were necessarily spawned. Haliotis australis also first produces mature eggs when it is about 60 mm long, but the age at which first spawning takes place could not be determined; maximum fecundity is about 3 million eggs. The sex ratios did not differ significantly from 1: 1 for either species.     

Studies on twelve common bivalve larvae,with notes on bivalve spawning seasons in New Zealand

Twelve common bivalve larvae occurring in the plankton from the Bay of Islands (35°15'S, 174°10'E), Wellington Harbour (41°16'S, 174°51'E), and off Raumati Beach (40°56'S, 174°58'E), New Zealand, during 1970–72 are described and, wherever possible, provisionally identified. The seasonal occurrences of these larvae in the plankton are also described. Information on the spawning cycles of some New Zealand adult bivalves is reviewed; although some species have a short (4 months or less) spawning season, for most it is much longer, possibly with ‘trickle’ spawning through several months of the year.     

Food of barracouta (Teleosti: Gempylidae) in eastern Cook Strait

The stomach contents were examined from 244 barracoota, Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen), caught in eastern Cook Strait, New Zealand. In the year of sampling (1966–67) the euphausid Nyctiphanes australis Sars was most commonly taken as food during the cooler months, replaced by the teleost hoki, Macruronus novae‐zelandiae Hector, in summer. The proportions of full and empty stomachs suggested that the barracouta fed sparingly before spawning but heavily afterwards.     

Early life history of the congrid eels gnathophis habenatus and G. incognitos in New Zealand waters

Larvae (leptocephali) of Gnathophis habenatus (Richardson, 1848) and G. incognitas Castle, 1963 occur off Castlepoint throughout most of the year (not sampled December‐February), In general they are smallest in late summer (March) and ilargest in mid‐spring (October‐November), with metamorphosis to the juvenile in early summer of the year of spawning. The two species therefore have a larval life of approximately 10 months. The early life of these two species in Australian waters, and of G. capensis (Kaup) off southern Africa, agrees well with these observations. Eel eggs collected in the East Cape region of New Zealand and tentatively identified as those of Gnathophis confirm the spawning times (March—April) suggested by the sizes of leptocephali.     

Migratory behaviour of spawning rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Tongariro River,New Zealand,after habitat alteration

The movements of 92 adult rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from Lake Taupo into the Tongariro River, New Zealand, were monitored using radio‐telemetry every 3 days during the main spawning period between May and November 2003. This study repeated one previously conducted in 1995. Differences in spawning site preference and resting locations between 1995 and 2003 probably reflect differences in the nature of the river as a result of major natural floods that occurred in 1998. Average migration times were slower than in 1995 and the correlation between flow and mean daily movement was less distinct owing to the dry and settled weather during July and August, although fish did respond to freshets when they occurred. Peak movement occurred between 1600 and 2000 h NZ Standard Time with no movement occurring between midnight and 0400. Fish adjusted their movement in response to changing photoperiod. Nineteen fish were observed above the mouths of natal tributary streams for several weeks in the main river stem before entering these tributaries.     

First capture and description of larval torrentfish (Cheimarrichthys fosteri) during their seaward migration

While many of New Zealand’s freshwater fishes undertake larval migrations as part of their amphidromous life-history, little is known of the larval stages of these fish. Torrentfish (Cheimarrchthys fosteri), a New Zealand endemic, amphidromous, riffle specialist are particularly enigmatic; their spawning sites and behaviours are unknown, and larvae have never been collected either emigrating from freshwater or during their marine feeding phase. During summer drift sampling, we captured unidentified fish larvae emigrating downstream in the Waianakarua River, South Island, New Zealand. Based on multiple lines of evidence (meristic comparisons with adults, morphology, time of capture, and adult fish populations of the Waianakarua) we identify these larvae as torrentfish. This represents the first time torrentfish larvae have been captured or identified, laying the foundations for future studies into the early life-history and ecology of this unique and threatened fish.     

Comparison and history of Polydora websteri and P. haswelli (Polychaeta: Spionidae) as mud-blister worms in New Zealand shellfish

Shells of commercially valued bivalves in New Zealand, Crassostrea gigas, Perna canaliculus and Pecten novaezelandiae, are damaged by blister-causing Polydora polychaete species known to be close in morphology to the widely recorded oyster pest Polydora websteri Hartman. Recent New Zealand occurrences are here confirmed to relate to two species, P. websteri, and a second similar species, Polydora haswelli Blake & Kudenov, a new record for New Zealand, previously known only from Australia; the two species are described and compared. The worms have limited distributions, with P. websteri confirmed only for Pacific oysters (C. gigas) in northern New Zealand, although prior reports indicate it may also occur on scallops and have reached the northern South Island. Polydora haswelli has been found only in northern New Zealand, occurring on subtidal mussels and scallops and native oysters (Perna canaliculus, Pecten novaezelandiae, Ostrea chilensis), as well as co-existing with intertidal P. websteri on Pacific oysters. The worms are not present in Foveaux Strait O. chilensis beds, a major source of past oyster exports to Australia. The history of mud-blister worm outbreaks in Australasia is examined. While trans-Tasman exports of live oysters from New Zealand were commonplace during the nineteenth century, there is no evidence that mud-blister worms were present in New Zealand then. The earliest reports only date from the early 1970s and only from northern New Zealand, whereas a century earlier in the 1870s at least one of these pest worms had become widespread along eastern Australian coasts.     

Diel feeding periodicity of torrentfish (Cheimarrichthys fosteri) in two braided rivers of Canterbury,New Zealand

Torrentfish Cheimarrichthys fosteri Haast were collected at 4‐hour intervals over a full day in winter and summer, 1984–85, from the Ashley and Rakaia Rivers in Canterbury, New Zealand, to determine their diel feeding periodicity. Both populations fed, almost exclusively, from dusk to dawn in both seasons, with the quantity of food in their stomachs accumulating to peak levels by early morning. However, Ashley females had significantly less food in their stomachs than did males in summer, the season with a high incidence (91%) of females in spawning condition. Aquatic stages of Deleatidium spp. (Ephemeroptera: Leptophle‐biidae) and Chironomidae constituted from 85 to 98% by number and 63 to 80% by dry weight of all foods eaten. Chironomids (small prey) comprised up to 85% of the total foods eaten by number but only 17% by dry weight, while Deleatidium (large prey) comprised up to 69% of the prey by number and 63% by dry weight. Numerically, chironomids were an important component in the torrentfish diet in both seasons in the Rakaia (71 to 75%), but only so in winter in the Ashley (85%). The reported daily feeding cycle is consistent with observations in a simulated stream, that torrentfish largely remain inactive during the day and come out to feed at night.