NZ Fish Identification Guide
Sweep.  Scorpis lineolata.  Sometimes mistaken for small Blue maomao
Â
Blue Maomao. Scorpis violacea. Â
Â
Demoiselle. Chromis dispilus
 .
.
Butterfly Perch.  Caesioperca lepidoptera. oia
.
.
Slender Roughy  Optivus elongatus
.
Bigeye  Pempheris adspersa
Can be confused with Slender Roughy
.
.Â
Rock Cod. Lotella rhacina
Can be confused with Red Cod and Ling
Â
Red Cod. Pseudophycis bachus.  hoka
Â
Ling. Genypterus blacodes. hoka, hokarari
Â
Spotted Stargazer. Genyagnus monopterygius. kourepoua
Â
Snake Eel.  Ophisurus serpens
Â
Red Banded Perch.  Hypoplectrodes huntii
Â
 Sea Perch. (Jock Stewart, Scarpy) Helicolenus percoides. pahuikaroa
Â
Red Scorpionfish. (Red Rock Cod, Grandfather Hapuku)
Scorpaena cardinalis. matua-whapuku
Â
Â
Marblefish. Aplodactylus arctidens. kiki
Â
Kelpfish. Chironemus marmoratus. hiwihiwi
Â
Banded Wrasse. Notolabrus fucicola
Â
Sandager's Wrasse - Female
Â
Red Pigfish - Male.  Bodianus unimaculatus. pakurakura, tanahanaha
Red Pigfish- Female
Â
Scarlet Wrasse. Pseudolabrus miles.  pau, puwaiwhakarua
Â
Foxfish. Bodianus frenchii
Can be mistaken for Red Pigfish
Â
Silver Drummer.  Kyphosus sydneyanus
Sometimes confused with Parore
Â
Parore.  Girella tricuspidata. (Luderick in Australia)
Sometimes confused with Silver Drummer, and Porae by name
Â
Porae. Nemadactylus douglasii (Morwong in Australia)
Sometimes confused with Parore by name
.
.
Eagle Ray  Myliobatis tenuicaudatus. whairepo
Â
Shorttail Stingray Bathytoshia brevicaudata. whai
 .
 .
Barracouta. Thyrsites atun. manga
Member of the Snake Mackerel family - not to be confused with the tropical Barracuda
Â
 Jack Mackerel.  hauture
Three Jack mackerel species are found around New Zealand:
Trachurus declivis, T. novaezelandiae, and T. murphyi,
all pelagic species belonging to the Carangidae family
(trevallies, kingfishes).
Â
Koheru.  Decapterus koheru
Sometimes mistaken for Jack Mackerel
Â
Yelloweye Mullet.  Aldrichetta forsteri.  aua
Often incorrectly called herrings or sprats
Â
Sprat. Sprattus muelleri
Â
Pilchard. Sardinops neopilchardus
Â
PELAGIC
Mackerel/Tuna
Â
Skipjack Tuna.  Katsuwonus pelamis
Often incorrectly called and sold as Bonito
Â
Bonito. Sarda spp.
From the family of Scombrids not found in NZ,
closely resembling Skipjack Tuna
Â
Tuna
Marlin
.
Mako Isurus oxyrinchus (top)
vs Blue Shark Prionace glauca Mango pounamu
Â
Â