What is the life cycle of banded kokopu?

Like inanga, the banded kokopu is diadromous, migrating between fresh and salt water during its life cycle. Adult banded kokopu live and breed in freshwater; the larvae migrate to the sea when they hatch and return to freshwater as juveniles or 'whitebait', in search of habitat to grow to adulthood.

1. How long do banded Kokopu live?
2. How big do banded Kokopu get?
3. What is the life cycle of a whitebait?
4. What do banded Kokopu eat?
5. Is it legal to sell whitebait?
6. Where do giant Kokopu live?
7. Where are giant Kokopu found?
8. What do whitebait grow into?
9. How long do whitebait live for?
10. What tide is best for Whitebaiting?
11. Do Whitebaits run all year round?
12. What does the banded kokopu look like?
13. Where can I find freshwater crayfish in NZ?
14. Is whitebait a freshwater fish?

How long do banded Kokopu live?

Kokopu live for between 5 and 10 years but can reach in excess of 21 years. They spawn in leaf debris in stream beds or during spring tides and the eggs hatch about 30 days after being laid.

How big do banded Kokopu get?

The banded kōkopu (Galaxias fasciatus) is a galaxiid of the genus Galaxias, found only in New Zealand, including the Chatham and Stewart/Rakiura islands. It commonly grows to 20–25 cm, but has been recorded growing to around 30 cm.

What is the life cycle of a whitebait?

They begin life as eggs laid in vegetation beside streams in late summer and autumn. When the eggs hatch, they are carried downstream as larvae and spend the next six months at sea. In the spring they migrate upstream as whitebait and grow into adult fish.

What do banded Kokopu eat?

Streams with high benthic invertebrate abundance and drift of aquatic origin had high fish abundance. However, terrestrial drift was the dominant food for adult banded kokopu over all seasons and streams, on average comprising 75% of their diet by number and 89% by weight.

Is it legal to sell whitebait?

The guts is that whitebait is excluded from requiring a registered risk management programme certification and can be sold legally without meeting the standard food safety requirements. This is because it has been determined a low-risk product when balanced against the compliance costs and consumption level.

Where do giant Kokopu live?

Giant kokopu are found in a wide range of water types, including estuaries, lagoons, swamps, streams, drains, rivers, ponds and lakes (Appendix 2).

Where are giant Kokopu found?

This threatened species of fish is currently classified as 'declining'. They are one of five species that are part of the whitebait run, which include 4 other members of the Galaxias genus. Giant kokopu like most of the native fish fauna are endemic meaning they are found only here in New Zealand.

What do whitebait grow into?

Through spring and summer, the little whitebait grow into adult fish known as inanga. Inanga are slender fish, with a small head and transparent fins. They are a pale creamy colour, mottled or spotted greenish-olive on their back and sides.

How long do whitebait live for?

They are slow-growing and can live for more than 20 years.

What tide is best for Whitebaiting?

Spring tides are favoured for the best catches of 'bait. While the season can be slow in August and September, October and November are my favourite months for whitebaiting. The combination of increasing water temperatures and spring tide, perhaps after a little rain, create the ideal conditions for 'baiting.

Do Whitebaits run all year round?

Whitebaiting is a seasonal activity with a limited time period. It occurs when the whitebait are migrating upstream in spring. There are strict controls about net size and rules against blocking the river to channel whitebait into nets.

What does the banded kokopu look like?

Like all galaxiids, the banded kokopu lacks scales and has a thick leathery skin that is covered with mucus. Their dark brownish-olive skin can be distinguished from the other galaxiid species by thin, pale, vertical bands along the sides and over the back of the fish.

Where can I find freshwater crayfish in NZ?

New Zealand has two species of freshwater crayfish, the northern kōura, Paranephrops planifrons, which occurs in the North Island and the West Coast of the South Island, and the southern kōura, P. zealandicus, which occurs in the east and south of the South Island.

Is whitebait a freshwater fish?

New Zealand whitebait are the juveniles of five galaxiid species which live as adults in freshwater rivers and streams.