Does one size fit all? An evaluation of length–weight relationships for New Zealand's freshwater fish species

Length–weight relationships are a fundamental tool for assessing populations and communities in fisheries science. Many researchers have collected length–weight data throughout New Zealand, yet parameters describing these relationships remain unpublished for many species of freshwater fish. We compiled 285,124 fish records from researchers and institutions across New Zealand to parameterise length–weight equations, using both power and quadratic models, for 53 freshwater species belonging to 13 families. The influence of location and sex on length–weight relationships was also assessed. Location, in particular, generated different length–weight relationships for 65% of the species examined. Length–weight equations were validated by comparing predicted weights against independently measured weights from 25 electrofished sites across New Zealand and the equations were highly accurate (R²>0.99). Recommendations are made about how to robustly apply this new resource which should assist freshwater fisheries researchers throughout New Zealand.     

Biochemical‐genetic and meristic evidence that blue and copper moki (Teleostei: Latridae: Latridopsis) are discrete species

Specimens of blue moki Latridopsis ciliaris (Forster in Bloch & Schneider, 1801) from New Zealand were shown to differ from specimens of copper moki Latridopsis forsteri (Castelnau, 1872) using two genetic methods—allozymes and muscle proteins. Allozyme techniques revealed fixed differences between blue and copper moki at 4 out of 15 loci. There was a genetic distance of 0.31–0.34 between population samples of the two colour morphs. The two morphs were also distinguished by iso‐electric focusing of muscle proteins. Meristic characters, counted in the specimens studied with genetic markers, revealed diagnostic markers in tubed lateral line scales and scales in the lower transverse series. It is concluded that specimens of blue moki from New Zealand and copper moki from New Zealand and Tasmania are valid species.     

Estimates of size for the large octopus Macroctopus maorum from measures of beaks in prey remains

Macroctopus maorum, also known as Octopus maorum and Pinnoctopus cordiformis, grows to 12 kg and is the largest octopod in Australasia. In New Zealand, this species features in the diets of seals and albatrosses. Beaks of depredated octopus resist digestion and accumulate in the stomach until regurgitated or defecated. Beaks of M. maorum were differentiated reliably from those of other octopods in prey remains for octopus > c.100 g. Previous studies estimated the size of depredated M. maorum from measures of lower beaks using equations derived either from a small sample of M. maorum or from related species. Here, allometric equations to estimate ventral mantle length (4.6–27.5 cm), dorsal mantle length (5.1–29.0 cm), total length (20–198 cm), and body mass (36–12 000 g) were derived from measures of both upper and lower beaks of 90 specimens of M. maorum. These regressions were imprecise and reflected innate variability in octopus morphometrics, a characteristic reflected in the results of analyses of published data for M. maorum from northern New Zealand and for two other large octopods, Octopus vulgaris and Enteroctopus magnificus.     

Three sipunculan species (two new) from New Zealand

Two new species of Sipuncula arc described from New Zealand; Phascolion temporariae from, the empty tubes of the polychaete Temporaria inexpectata (Mestayeri), and Phascolion tortum from the shells of four species of molluscs. Specimens of Golfingia improvisa (Theel) are also reported from the empty frustules of the foraminiferan Ammodiscoides mestayeri (Cushman) and the sandy tubes of the foraminifera Rhizammina sp. All the species were dredged at depths of 370–660 m from Taiaroa and Papanui Canyons, off the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. The body cavity of several specimens of G. improvisa contained the larval stage of a nematode.     

Nursery grounds of Tarakihi (Teleostei: Cheilodactylidae) around New Zealand

Nursery grounds of the tarakihi Cheilodactylus macropterus (Bloch & Schneider) were discovered in 1963–72 mainly off the south‐western coast of the North Island, in Tasman Bay, along the entire eastern coast of the South Island, and around the Chatham Islands. They occurred at depths of 20–100 m, and mostly between 10 km and 30 km from shore. The tarakihi nurseries had a dense and varied invertebrate bemthic epifauna dominated by sponges and small corals. Few signs of nurseries were found in. other New Zealand waters, in spite of the existence of major spawning grounds there. It is not known with which spawning grounds the various nursery grounds are linked.

The Tasman Bay nursery ground is 18–33 km wide and about 75 km long, with a surface area of about 2000 km². There is a rich demersal fish fauna (37 species were recorded) dominated by tarakihi, red gurnard Chelidonichthys kumu (Lesson & Garnot), snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Bloch & Schneider), and leathei'iacket Novodon convexirostris (Guenther). The young tarakihi occur at depths of 20–45 m and concentrate during winter in the warmer deeper water. They first appear in trawl catches in summer, towards the end of their first year (assumed birthdate is 1 March), and stay on the nursery until the age of 3 y. They occur in the deeper water off the nursery during their fourth and fifth year and depart during their sixth year, possibly for the spawning grounds off the west coast of the South Island. The mean lengths at the ages of 15, 27, and 39 months were 12.6, 18.0, and 24.0 cm respectively in 1970. There was some variation in growth rate within the nursery ground, but the age groups could nevertheless be recognised easily from, length frequency modes. Monthly modal lengths showed that growth slows down in winter. Evidence for fluctuations in year class strength was found; year classes 1966 and 1969 were weak and year class 1968 was strong.

The vulnerability of tarakihi less than 4y old to commercial New Zealand trawl gear is low, and the local fishing fleets do no serious damage to the habitat on the nursery grounds. However, a large part of the tarakihi nursery grounds off the east coast of the South Island lies outside the territorial fishing zone. Intensive fishing on these grounds by large foreign vessels using heavy trawl gear could have an adverse effect on the habitat of the young tarakihi in this region.     

Genetic and morphological evidence for a single species of pink ling (Genypterus blacodes) in New Zealand waters

Two species of ling, Genypterus blacodes (Forster in Bloch & Schneider, 1801) and G. microstomus (Regan, 1903) have been recorded from New Zealand and Australian waters; a third species, G. tigerinus (Klunzinger, 1872) has been recorded from Australia. Specimens of ling collected from northern, central, and southern localities in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and specimens of G. blacodes from Australia were shown to be similar with respect to partial sequences of mitochondrial (mt)DNA, and morphometric and meristic characters. DNA sequences of part of the cytochrome b and control region showed that G. blacodes from Tasmania and New Zealand differed by 1/291 and 4/284 nucleotides respectively, but there was much greater genetic differentiation between G. blacodes and G. tigerinus (14/291 and 14/284 nucleotides), and between G. blacodes and G. capensis (23/291 and 8/284 nucleotides). MtDNA haplotypes within New Zealand show that G. blacodes is subdivided into northern and southern stocks. It is concluded that ling in New Zealand represent a single species referable to G. blacodes, and that G. microstomus Regan is a junior synonym.     

Calorific content of New Zealand marine macrophytes

Calorific content was measured in 28 species of New Zealand macroalgae. Values ranged from 1.04 to 3.34 kcal g‐1 dry weight (wt), 3.03–5.18 kcal g‐1 ash‐free dry wt, and 0.13–1.75 kcal g‐1 wet wt. Seasonal variation in calorific content was measured in two of these species, Macrocystis pyrifera and Ulva lactuca, both of which showed clear changes in energy content over a 1‐year period. Factors affecting variation in calorific content between species and during the year are discussed, and the application of the current findings to ecological and aquacultural research on New Zealand seaweeds are considered.     

Recent occurrence of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in Waikato lakes of New Zealand

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii is a toxin‐producing species of cyanobacteria that in autumn 2003 was recorded for the first time in three shallow (max. depth ≤5 m) Waikato lakes and a hydro‐electric dam on the Waikato River, New Zealand. It formed water blooms at densities >100 000 cells/ml in Lakes Waahi and Whangape. Net rates of population growth >0.2 day_–1 were recorded for C. raciborskii in Lakes Ngaroto, Waahi, and Karapiro, based on comparisons of low numbers (detection of <10 cells/ml) from initial samples and its presence at bloom densities (>15 000 cells/ml) in the subsequent sample “x"‐"y” days later. C. raciborskii may be well adapted to rapid proliferation in the Waikato lakes, which are eutrophic to hypertrophic, with high light attenuation, and where nitrogen (N) fixation may provide it with a competitive advantage over non‐nitrogen fixing algae under N‐limited conditions.     

A platyctenean ctenophore from New Zealand

Two colour variants of Coeloplana willeyi Abbott are described from northern New Zealand. This is the first record of a representative of the order Platyctenea in New Zealand.     

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.     

Habitat use and longitudinal distribution patterns of native fish from a near pristine Stewart Island,New Zealand,stream

Distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences of native fish were investigated down the length of a relatively pristine, medium‐sized, fourth‐order stream on Stewart Island, New Zealand. A limited fish fauna was recorded (six species), including three threatened large galaxiid species (Galaxias argenteus, Galaxias fasciatus, and Galaxias brevipinnis), which have restricted distributions on mainland New Zealand. Results indicated that these large galaxiids occupy diverse habitats including pools and backwaters within the mainstems of this stream. Their extensive distributions and wide habitat usage were attributed to factors such as the intact catchment vegetation, unmodified stream channel, and the absence of introduced fishes, particularly salmonids. Results suggest that some native species have been excluded from mainstem habitats elsewhere in New Zealand. It was also evident that interactions among the native species influenced habitat use; G. brevipinnis avoided backwaters, runs, and pools in reaches occupied by G. fasciatus and Anguilla dieffenbachii; whereas G. fasciatus appeared to avoid habitats occupied by G. argenteus and A dieffenbachii. Maximum densities and biomass of galaxiids and eels occurred in deepwater habitats (>0.75 m). Furthermore the fish inhabiting these deeper waters were larger and more likely to be female. These findings have significant implications for the design and application of sampling protocols for native New Zealand fishes and for the protection of their habitats. If deeper waters are not sampled then species, sex, and size biased data may result.     

New species of Spongia (Porifera: Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida) from New Zealand,and a proposed subgeneric structure

This paper is the fifth in a series revising the taxonomy of New Zealand dictyoceratid sponges (phylum Porifera, subclass Ceractinomorpha, order Dictyoceratida). Six new species of the genus Spongia are added to New Zealand's known fauna. The use of subgenera within the genus Spongia is discussed, and two new subgenera are proposed. The genus Hippospongia is revised, and an emended generic diagnosis is proposed.     

Variation and taxonomic changes in the family Retropinnidae (Salmonoidea)

The family Retropinnidae contains one monotypic genus, Stokellia, in New Zealand, and nine nominal species of Retropinna: five in New Zealand, three in Australia, and one on Chatham Island. Four Chatham Island populations contain much of the recorded range of variation for the family for head length in standard length ratios, numbers of dorsal and anal rays, and numbers of scale rows. These characters are analysed for 29 populations incorporating five nominal species from New Zealand and Chatham Island. When interrelated these characters are shown to be linked (loosely) and high values are typical of coastal populations. When related to latitude their values increase to the south. The reverse trend is found with increase in altitude. Decrease in salinity depresses the values. Area of the lake habitat has little effect.

Observations suggest that size of fish and numbers of teeth vary predictably. Thus all observed variation is related to environmental conditions. The four nominal lake species are submerged in Retropinna retropinna (Richardson), the type species of the genus, which is considered to be highly adaptable rather than highly variable. R. osmeroides Hector is recognised as distinct from R. retropinna on one character and on sympatric distribution. Records of Australian and Tasmanian species suggest that R. victoriae Stokell differs fundamentally from all other species but that R. semoni Weber and jR. tasmanica McCulloch do not differ greatly from R. retropinna Similar environmentally correlated variation is suggested to relate some diadromous species of Galaxias and their lacustrine isolates.     

Biota of a subalpine springbrook in the Southern Alps

The flora and fauna of a subalpine springbrook at Cass in the Southern Alps of New Zealand was studied from April 1975 to January 1976. Spring water was moderately hard (30.0 g.m.^‐3), with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (> 90% saturation) and carbon dioxide (5–14 g.m^‐3) and a temperature of 6.0–6.5°C. Three mosses covered much of the stream bed and formed distinct zones. Fissidens rigidulus inhabited torrential, water near the middle of the channel, Pterygophyllum quadrijarium. grew in the water‐saturated inner spray zone, and Cratoneuropsis relaxa inhabited the outer spray zone. In moss samples, 44 species of invertebrates were collected, mainly immature stages of insects. Zelandoperla jenestrata (Plecoptera), Zelolessica cheira (Trichoptera) a species of Empididae (Diptera) and several species of Chironomidae were most abundant in Fissidens; Austroperla cyrene (Plecoptera), a species of Helodidae (Coleoptera) and a triclad, Neppia montana, were most abundant in Pterygophyllum; an isopod, Styloniscus otakensis, was the only common animal on Cratoneuropsis. It is suggested that animal microdistribution patterns reflect differences in water saturation, flow rates, and detritus trapping ability within the moss zones.     

Demersal fish assemblages off southern New Zealand in relation to depth and temperature

We examined the relationship between demersal fish assemblage and depth, temperature, latitude and longitude off southern New Zealand (46–54°S and 165–180°E) in water depths of 80–787 m. Catch weight data were analysed by two-way indicator analysis (TWIA), groupaverage agglomerative clustering (UPGMA) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). The spatial pattern of demersal fish off southern New Zealand conforms to the concept of species groups or fish assemblages related to environmental gradients. Shallow-water assemblages were dominated by species from the families Gempylidae, Squalidae, Triakidae and Moridae, mainly represented by Thyrsites atun, Squalus acanthias, Galeorhinus australis, and Pseudophycis bachus. Deep water assemblages were dominated by Chimaeridae, Argentinidae, Merlucciidae and Macrouridae, mainly represented by Hydrolagus novaezelandiae, Argentina elongata, Macruronus novaezelandiae, and Lepidorhynchus denticulatus. Total catch weight was often dominated by Merlucciidae, Macrouridae and Gempylidae. Fish assemblages were related to discrete ranges of depth (< and >300 m) and temperature (< and >9.5°C), but the range of sediment types was too narrow to show any correlation.     

DNA identification of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) in the New Zealand fishery

Muscle samples were collected from 69 specimens identified as Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) (Temminck and Schlegel, 1844) in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between 1990 and 2000. Identifications before 1996 were based on body size and colour of the caudal keel; later identifications were mostly based on the shape of abdominal cavity. The tissue samples were tested with a diagnostic mitochondrial DNA marker that distinguishes southern bluefin Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872) and Pacific bluefin tuna T. orientalis; 59 specimens were confirmed as T. orientalis and 10 as T. maccoyii. Specimens recorded as Pacific bluefin tuna by the shape of the abdominal cavity were correctly identified as T. orientalis, and this character can be used to identify large specimens landed on tuna vessels. Some specimens recorded as Pacific bluefin tuna on the basis of colour and size were T. maccoyii; and early records of T. orientalis in New Zealand waters, based on these characters, are unreliable. Unusual colour patterns were reported in some specimens of T. orientalis but not T. maccoyii. The Pacific bluefin tuna T. orientalis accounted for less than 0.3% of the bluefin tuna catch in the New Zealand EEZ during the 1990s.     

Book reviews

Detritus and microbial ecology in aquaculture. B7 Editors: D. J. W. Moriarty and R. S. V. Pullin, 1987. Proceedings for the Conference on Detrital Systems for Aquaculture, Italy, August 1985. 420 p. ISSN 0115–4389, ISBN 971–1022–29‐X. Price: US$12.50 surface. Available from ICLARM, MC P. O. Box 1501, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Coastal fishes of New Zealand, a diver's identification guide. By Malcolm Francis, 1988. Heinemann Reed, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd., Auckland. 63 p. Price: $29.95. ISBN 0–7900–0013‐X.

Lake managers handbook. Editor: W. N. Vant 1987, Water Quality Centre, Ministry of Works and Development, Hamilton. Water & Soil Miscellaneous Publication 103, 230 p., 53 figures, 12 colour plates. Price: $38.50. ISSN 0110–4705. Available from DSIR Publishing, P.O. Box 9741, Wellington, New Zealand.     

Diurnal variation in vertical distribution of pelagic copepods off Kaikoura,New Zealand

The vertical distribution of 55 species of copepods at levels 0–100 m, 100–250 m, 250–500 m, over 21 hours on 20–21 September 1967 at a station 39 km east of Kaikoura (central east coast), New Zealand, is reported, and changes in the night : day biomass ratio at the three depth levels are discussed.

Most copepod species counted showed diurnal vertical migratory movements generally similar to those recorded by other workers, but differences between sexes were noted. Modifications to the usual diurnal migratory pattern were observed and are thought to be caused by the animal's physiological state or by changes in the environment.

In the surface 250 m, the night : day biomass ratio was >2 but at 250–500 m it was <1.     

Foreign barnacles transported to New Zealand on an oil platform

Twelve species of barnacles were identified from the fouling community on the parts of the ‘Maui’ oil platform that were submerged during its tow from Japan in 1975 and after its arrival in New Zealand. The stalked barnacles Lepas anatifera L. var. (a) Darwin, L. anserifera L., Conchoderma auritum (L.), and C. virgatum (Spengler) probably settled during the tow across the tropical Pacific, and have been recorded in New Zealand waters before from ships (the Lepas spp.) and vertebrates (the Conchoderma spp.). The acorn barnacles were small, and probably settled in Japanese waters; Balanus variegatus Darwin and B. amphitrite Darwin already occur in northern New Zealand waters. The other six species—B. improvisus Darwin, B. albicostatus Pilsbry, B. reticulatus Utinomi, Megabalanus volcano (Pilsbry), M. rosa (Pilsbry), and Tetraclita squamosa japonica Pilsbry—have not been recorded from New Zealand before.