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Native Fish in Waitakere City


purplecatfish

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http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/AbtCit/ei/EcoWtr/FrshWtrFsh/frshwater-fish.asp

Under each fish page is a pdf of locations that the fish has been observed within Waitakere City. Please don't use this info to pillage the fish populations.

It's amazing to think that there are native fish only a few minutes walk from my suburban home in a creek that my son passes over every day on his way to school.

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You would be surprised what lives in even a fairly small stream, even in an urban area.

The stream at the bottom of my garden is one you can step across without getting your feet wet, but there is a 3ft eel living in there, crays and probably other fish as well. Most natives are very shy and nocturnal, there could hundreds of them in a stream, but you never see them.

Cheers

Ian

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I think if you click on each fish you can find out more info and read little profiles on them including size and some info on food maybe.. Interesting to read that the common bully looks after its babies I thought that was mainly only cichlids cool to know..

"....When it is time to breed I change from my usual spotted colour to black with an orange tip on my fin. I will guard my young until they hatch and I attack if you come near...."

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Ryanjury: Bullies don't actually look after the babies, just the eggs. The male establishes a nest under a rock, the female lays her eggs one by one on the ceiling(!). He fertilises them one by one. She sods off, he looks after them for three or so weeks till they hatch, fanning with his fins to keep them clean and oxygenated and defending from predators, all the time trying to get other females to spawn in his nest as well.... Once they hatch they are ignored by the male. That goes for all bully species.

Ok so I had half-written that then realised purplecatfish's site might have said all that already.... :oops:

Bullies are cool in aquariums, very active.

Henward: no native fish are strictly piscivorous, all are insectivorous, none are vegetarian :D Most native fish will eat whatever can fit in their mouths (when stretched to the utmost!). I have heard of large native fish eating smaller tank mates, not sure if it has been noted in the wild.

By large..... is that a severly abbreviated way of asking if any of them get big? Several bullies can get to 15 or so cm. Koaro = 20cm, banded kokopu = 25cm, giant kokopu = 40cm. Somewhat slower growing than pacu or arowana!

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Oldest native eel was 109 years old IIRC(was on national radio 10mins ago)

Eels eats ducks henward

we have had adult muscovy ducks taken on our pond, personally witnessed. Haven't managed to catch it yet to put in eel pool.

at a rough guess, seen in dark by torchlight, it is 2metres and about 10 - 11kg

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