Fish

Latest news

What’s in the NIWA freezer?

Feature story

23 December 2019

Just past the locks, alarms and big heavy doors is a rather macabre sight.

Scientists brave winter in Antarctic waters

Media Release

14 November 2019

The New Zealand ship Janas has recently returned from a six-week winter research voyage to the Ross Sea where scientists made the first observations of developing Antarctic toothfish embryos.

NIWA to survey young snapper in Hauraki Gulf

Media Release

7 November 2019

NIWA is heading out into the Hauraki Gulf this month to carry out a survey of juvenile snapper– the first of its kind for 20 years.

Microplastics are being fed to snapper, New Zealand’s most popular recreational fish species, at NIWA’s aquaculture research facility near Whangarei in a bid to establish some baseline data about how fish are being affected.

Our work

Historical changes in juvenile fish habitats

NIWA is looking for people who have had a long association with the Hauraki Gulf or Marlborough Sounds to help them with a research project on juvenile fish habitats.

Production of aquaculture species

NIWA is supporting the advancement of the New Zealand aquaculture sector through the development of high value products of verifiable quality and sustainability.

New Zealand fish passage guidelines

The New Zealand Fish Passage Guidelines sets out recommended practice for the design of instream infrastructure to provide for fish passage.

Cultural Keystone Species - co-management and restoration of our freshwater taonga species

Māori communities around the country note that the abundance, size and/or distribution of tuna, kōura and kāeo/kākahi is declining and that current populations aren’t sufficient to meet their needs.

Latest videos

Freshwater fish swim their all for science

The tiny inanga have been plucked from Waikato streams and held in a darkened laboratory for the last month, undertaking highly advanced testing to find the strongest, fittest and fastest fish.

Ocean acidification—what is it?

The on-going rise of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is not only changing our climate—it is also changing our oceans. Take a look at the work of the NIWA-led CARIM project into what these changes may mean for the delicate balance of marine life.

Exploring the deepsea

Despite many centuries of maritime exploration, only a fraction of our planet's seafloor has been observed. NIWA Deepsea Scientist Di Tracey tells us what it feels like to probe deep beneath the waves to see what's living on the ocean floor.

Mesopelagic trawl from the RV Tangaroa October 2016 Kermadec Voyage

Mesopelagic trawl - off Kermadec Islands Oct 2016

Using a very wide net to complete a 960m deep mesopelagic trawl near the Kermadec Islands has brought up a large number and diverse range of deep water species.

What’s in the NIWA freezer?

Feature story

23 December 2019

Just past the locks, alarms and big heavy doors is a rather macabre sight.

Underwater magician

Feature story

28 December 2018

Based at Bream Bay, Whangarei, Crispin Middleton is also an acclaimed underwater photographer and the recipient of numerous photography awards. His work regularly appears in New Zealand Geographic, dive magazines, scientific journals and conservation/ government documents.

Scientists brave winter in Antarctic waters

Media Release

14 November 2019

The New Zealand ship Janas has recently returned from a six-week winter research voyage to the Ross Sea where scientists made the first observations of developing Antarctic toothfish embryos.

NIWA to survey young snapper in Hauraki Gulf

Media Release

7 November 2019

NIWA is heading out into the Hauraki Gulf this month to carry out a survey of juvenile snapper– the first of its kind for 20 years.

Fish snack on microplastics

Media Release

22 October 2019

Researchers seek help on lobster catches

Media Release

16 October 2019

NIWA researchers are seeking the help of divers, snorkellers and lobster potters in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty to learn more about how rock lobster are faring.

Scientists help lamprey to spread the love

Media Release

30 September 2019

Contraptions that resemble upside-down kitchen sinks have been placed in the Waikawa River in Southland to attract a notoriously elusive native fish species.

Scientists study eels by moonlight

Media Release

1 August 2019

Under the light of the moon where the river meets the sea, NIWA researchers are planning to catch tiny fish that are all but invisible to the naked eye.

Scientists look to solve the longfin eel's breeding ground mystery

NIWA freshwater scientists are pinning their hopes of solving an age-old mystery on 10 female longfin eels who have now begun an epic journey to their spawning grounds somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Freshwater Update 81, June 2019

Freshwater Update 81 brings you the latest information from our Freshwater & Estuaries Centre, with articles ranging from how NIWA scientists are solving the longfin eel migration mystery, how we're taking you diving with us at Fieldays, and a word from one of the editors of the new Lakes Restoration Handbook.

Scientists hoping to solve great eel mystery

Media Release

16 May 2019

NIWA freshwater scientists are pinning their hopes of solving an age-old mystery on 10 female longfin eels who are about to begin an epic journey to their spawning grounds somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Young snapper raised in seagrass nurseries show stronger growth

NIWA research has found that seagrass nurseries have a significant role in the growth and condition of juvenile snapper.

Technical Workshop - Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for fish production

23 May 2019 to 25 May 2019

NIWA is hosting a two day workshop and one day field trip on Recirculating Aquaculture Systems.

Freshwater fish swim their all for science

The tiny inanga have been plucked from Waikato streams and held in a darkened laboratory for the last month, undertaking highly advanced testing to find the strongest, fittest and fastest fish.

Freshwater fish swim their all for science

Media Release

26 March 2019

In a secret training location on the outskirts of Hamilton, a squad of whitebait is being put through its paces by fish scientists.

Glass eel ear bones could reveal migration patterns

The ear bones of tiny eels might hold clues to their largely secret life.

Ocean acidification—what is it?

Voyage Update 5: sampling rattails and exploring vulnerable coral habitats in the MPA

3 February 2019. By Voyage Leader Dr Richard O'Driscoll.

Voyage Update 4: Toothfish habitat in and out of the MPA

29 January 2019. By Voyage Leader Dr Richard O'Driscoll.

NZ Freshwater Fish Database

The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database (NZFFD) records the occurrence of fish in fresh waters of New Zealand.

Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme

The Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme (Ross-RAMP) is a five-year research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and run by NIWA to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.

The eel earbone detective

Feature story

9 January 2019

As a young child growing up on an Irish farm, one of Eimear Egan’s chores was to regularly clean out the well from where her family drew its drinking water. In the well lived a large eel that, no matter how many times it was shifted, just kept coming back.