livingart Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Will list a few of the local marines I have kept and things a few local keepers have noted for general care. Crested Blenny Parablennius laticlavius Difficulty: Easy - Suitable for beginners who have done their research. Description: Crested Blennies are endearing little fish that lurk in rock work and graze algae from it surface. They can often be found with just their heads protruding from a favourite hole, watching their keeper. They are comparatively hardy and do not require a large tank, but do require clean water. Can grow up to 8 cms Habitat: The Crested Blenny is found around the coastline in rock pools and to depths of about 3 metres. Temperament: Usually peaceful, but will compete with their own species over territory. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and flake foods, will also graze green algae. Special Requirements: Crested Blennies are generally easy to keep so long as the aquarium is well maintained and there is some green algae present for them to eat - they cannot eat filamentous (hair) algae. Incompatibilities: Large aggressive fish (who will eat them) and other Blennies - keep only one Blenny per tank. Blue Eyed Triplefin Notoclinops segmentatus Difficulty: NOT recommended for beginners. Suggest a mature tank before attempting these fish. Description: Small common (up north anyway) triplefin with striking colours. Black vertical stripes on a white body with reddish fins, gets its name from its bright blue eyes. Habitat: Blue Eyed Triplefin is found around the coastline in rock pools and to depths of about 3 metres. Temperament: Peaceful little fish that can be intimidated easily by other more aggressive triplefins Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Can be difficult to get to eat and suggest a good supply of live food, either pods in tank or separately grown, from experience, some will just not eat other food, some will. Current one in my tank eats bloodworm, brine shrimp, pods from the rocks and glass, and is developing a taste finally for flake food. Special Requirements: Newly caught fish require live food until weaned onto other foods. Incompatibilities: Large aggressive fish (who will eat them). Yaldwyn's triplefin Notoclinops yalwyni Pic by Puttputt Difficulty: Difficult, Needs mature aquariums Description: Stunning coloured triplefin, male bright orange fading to yellow, female duller but lovely spotted pattern. Pics show a pair. Habitat: Found around coastal reefs and offshore islands in the north. Temperament: Delicate fish, but once eating well become active and freindly, perching on jewel anenomes. A difficult fish from my limited experience, suggest only for mature peaceful tanks. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 12 months Diet: The paler female refused to eat, may have eaten live food but gradually became skinny and died, the bright male on the other hand ate frozen food, blood worms and mysid, and gradually developed a taste for flake Special Requirements: Mature large tank, A difficult fish from my limited experience, suggest only for mature peaceful tanks Incompatibilities: Would not place in tank with large boisterous fish. MORE TRIPLEFINS TO COME Leatherjacket (Parika scaber): Difficulty: Medium: Mature tank, Description: Diamond shaped fish with brown leathery skin and extendable trigger above dorsal fin, grows up to 35cm, Can change colours in camouflage patterning depending on mood Habitat: The Leatherjacket can be found as youngsters around weed in shallow water from November onwards. Larger fish can be caught by line around most N.Z. waters Temperament: Quite a peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Very easily tamed, but can nip if food not coming fast enough. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres, when caught as 2.5cm youngsters can attain 10cm+ in their first year. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything from flake food to mysid, partial to shellfish. Special Requirements: If chased in tank can wedge itself in rockwork by extending its trigger, will usually release if left alone. Incompatibilities: No noted issues. will eat sponges and invertebrates owing to their teeth arrangement. Sweep (Scorpis lineolatus): , Difficulty: easy to keep and recommended in a large enough tank. When young best in a school. Description: Similar to Blue Maomao but gray as an adult, silver with red spots on the belly as a youngster, grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 100 - 1,000 litres depending on size of fish. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Blue maomao Scorpis violacea, Difficulty: easy to keep and recommended in a large enough tank. Description: Bright blue as an adult, but silver with yellow spots and fins as a youngster grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 100 - 1,000 litres depending on size of fish. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes Special Requirements: Need room to swim, best in a school. Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Awesome, should be stickied :gpo2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Oblique-swimming triplefin Obliquichthys maryannae Difficulty: Easy to keep in a mature system if you can supply live foods. Description: The body is orange-brown with a red tinged head, a black eye, and a wide black lengthwise stripe on each side, it grows to 8 cm. The only triplefins to spend most of their time swimming in loose schools rarely resting on the bottom, their common name comes from swimming at a slight upwards angle. Habitat: found along the north east coast of the North Island of New Zealand from depths of about 5 m to 50 m. Usually inhabiting sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky outcroppings. Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Oblique-swimming triplefins are planton feeders taking their tiny copepod and euphausid crustacean food in mid-water. Special Requirements: They don’t have a swim bladder though so have to keep on the move. They settle down at lights out and hide in the live rock. unfortunately they are a bit vulnerable as they emerge in the morning to school up. Incompatibilities: Easily out competed for food by faster fish, does well with Weed fish and seahorses Variable Triplefin Forsterygion varium Difficulty: Easy - They are comparatively hardy and do not require a large tank, but do require clean water. Description: Variable Triplefin are small fish that enliven the tank, they are a mottled red brown with 7 darker saddles on their backs, breeding males have a bright blue tip on fins, grow to 12 cms. Habitat: They are found around the coastline in rock pools and to depths of about 30 metres. Temperament: Usually peaceful, but will compete with their own species over territory. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and flake foods, will also graze green algae. Special Requirements: None Incompatibilities: Large aggressive fish (who will eat them) Can be aggressive towards other triplefins and same species. The mottled twister, Bellapiscis lesleyae, Difficulty: Easy. Description: Mottled Twister are small fish that enliven the tank, they are a mottled pattern of dark and light with speckling of red on their backs. Can grow up to 6 cms. Habitat: This triplefin is commonly found around the coast of New Zealand in rock pools and down to depths of about 5 m in reef areas of broken rock. It length is up to 6 cm. Temperament: Usually peaceful, but will compete with their own species over territory. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and flake foods, will also graze green algae. Special Requirements: None Incompatibilities: Large aggressive fish (who will eat them) Can be aggressive towards other triplefins and same species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 You get variable triplefins quite far up the river at hahei in their hundreds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Leatherjacket (Parika scaber): Difficulty: Medium: Mature tank, Description: Diamond shaped fish with brown leathery skin and extendable trigger above dorsal fin, grows up to 35cm, Can change colours in camouflage patterning depending on mood Habitat: The Leatherjacket can be found as youngsters around weed in shallow water from November onwards. Larger fish can be caught by line around most N.Z. waters Temperament: Quite a peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Very easily tamed, but can nip if food not coming fast enough. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres, when caught as 2.5cm youngsters can attain 10cm+ in their first year. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything from flake food to mysid, partial to shellfish. Special Requirements: If chased in tank can wedge itself in rockwork by extending its trigger, wil usually release if left alone. Incompatibilities: No noted issues. will eat sponges and invertebrates owing to their teeth arrangement. Sweep (Scorpis lineolatus): , Difficulty: easy to keep and recommended in a large enough tank. When young best in a school. Description: Similar to Blue Maomao but gray as an adult, silver with red spots on the belly as a youngster, grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 100 - 1,000 litres depending on size of fish. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Blue maomao Scorpis violacea, Difficulty: easy to keep and recommended in a large enough tank. Description: Bright blue as an adult, but silver with yellow spots and fins as a youngster grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 100 - 1,000 litres depending on size of fish. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes Special Requirements: Need room to swim, best in a school. Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Awesome, should be stickied :gpo2: These plus others that Livingart has done are in the file to go on the new site, when it gets up and going. They will be accessible from the home page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 100l sounds way way to small for a leather jacket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 100l sounds way way to small for a leather jacket I'm guessing 100 litres per fish, but minimum dimensions for the first fish will likely exceed 100 litres in volume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 These plus others that Livingart has done are in the file to go on the new site, when it gets up and going. They will be accessible from the home page Great :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 I'm guessing 100 litres per fish, but minimum dimensions for the first fish will likely exceed 100 litres in volume The leather jackets i get are about 10mm long but i will change that :sage: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Thanks for that LA. Look at all those cool species in local waters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Just the tip of a large iceberg Cam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 A couple of more common fish Parore Girella tricuspidata Difficulty: The Parore is easy to keep and can tolerate low quality water. Description: A dark brownish-green coloured fish with narrow darker vertical bands and slowly growing up to 60cm. Habitat: Found inshore, in habours and estuaries. Fry can be caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Can be aggressive to its own species as they grow. Minimum Tank Size: 100 litres but these guys ultimately will need 1,000 litres plus. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: In the wild they are primarily a plant eater but will readily adapt to eat everything from flake to mussel flesh, even scraping algae off the rocks in the tank. Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: No noted issues, but these guys as they grow can become quite territorial with new fish. Spotty Notolabrus celidotus Difficulty: Easy, tolerate poor water conditions. Good starter fish but be warned hard to catch out later as it outcompetes slower fish. Description: The Spotty is a typical elongate wrasse shape; it has a Protruding mouth with noticeable teeth. The body is a creamy colour with brown flecks over it and a large black spot on each side, they change colour and sex with growth, from an initial phase very small juveniles can be green or red but soon lose this in the aquarium. Large females can change sex into a brilliantly coloured terminal male phase with blue lines on their heads. Males dominate several females. Max length: 23.9 cm. Habitat: Inhabits shallow water, but may reach to depths of 15 m Temperament: Can be aggressive as an adult, young seem peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 1 months Diet: Spotties feed on a variety of invertebrates, hermit and other crabs, molluscs, and echinoderms, will eat anything you feed it. Special Requirements: None reported, Incompatibilities: I have found Spotties tolerate poor water conditions and are easy to keep. They will eat almost anything offered and outcompete slower fish, they can be impossible to catch out of your tank without removing all the rockwork. A good starter fish but can rapidly become annoying, young fish up to 3cm can be netted amongst seaweed in shallow water from October onwards they can be red or green but quickly lose this in the tank. Not recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Parore I know that one called by a different name starting with an S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 I know that one called by a different name starting with an S Sea Chub? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 No he probably means crap fish, prepared properly they are better than snapper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Butterfly Perch Caesioperca lepidoptera, Difficulty: Medium: Mature tank Description: A pinkish coloured fish with a speckling of small black spots a large black spot on sides, bluish hints around the head. Max length : 30.0 cm Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Splendid perch found in more northern waters and Allports in southern waters Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 400 litres up to 1,000 litres for mature fish. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Newly caught fish need live food but after settling in tank eats everything from flake food to mysid, partial to prawns. Special Requirements: A very timid fish when newly caught, can easily be pushed off food. Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Splendid Perch and Allports Perch Callanthias australis and Callanthias allporti Difficulty: Medium: Mature tank Description: A brilliantly coloured fish of pink, golden, yellow, orange and red. The caudal fin is red and all other fins are orange. Max length : 30.0 cm , The Allports perch has slightly more subdued colouration. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Splendid perch found in more northern waters and Allports in southern waters Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 400 litres Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Newly caught fish need live food but after settling in tank eats everything from flake food to mysid, partial to prawns. Special Requirements: A very timid fish when newly caught, can easily be pushed off food Incompatibilities: No noted issues. Black Angel Parma alboscapularis Pic by Puttputt Difficulty: medium to difficult, Needs mature aquariums Description: New Zealands true angel, starts life vibrantly coloured like tropical Parma species, they are a neon blue and yellow and which slowly changes to jet black with a white ear patch. Grows to approximately 28cm Habitat: Found around coastal headlands and offshore islands in the north. Temperament: Normal damsel angel type personally, timid when small, would be aggressive with same species and tends to harass new fish in the tank. Minimun Tank Size: 400 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 12 months Diet: Eats most things eventually, mine love flake, bloodworm, tuatua, mysid etc Special Requirements: Mature large tank, easy to feed, large tank requires as grows to a reasonable size. Incompatibilities: None known at this stage, but as it matures only one per tank. Long snout pipefish Stigmatophora macropterygia Difficulty: Easy to keep in a mature system if you can supply live foods. Description: Long thin fish with a Long dorsal fin used for propulsion and a slender long tail that lacks a fin. Grows to 22cm. Habitat: Usually found inhabiting harbours and sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky areas in fairly shallow water, can be found in deeper waters as well. They are more active at dusk and night than in the daytime spending most of the day anchored by their tail to rocks or weed. Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Pipefish feed on small crustaceans, such as amphipods and shrimp, which are sucked into their tube-like snouts and ingested whole, in the aquarium they can be fed on live mysid Shrimp, mosquito wrigglers, daphnia and whiteworms (very fatty) also frozen foods such as mysid and brineshrimp Special Requirements: Pipefish should only be kept in a mature, cycled marine aquarium. Their tank must have gentle to moderate currents for them as they are not strong swimmers and to enable them to be able to feed properly. Very hard to get to accept frozen foods Incompatibilities: Easily out competed for food by faster fish, does well with Weed fish and seahorses. Wide-bodied pipefish Stigmatophora nigra Difficulty: Easy to keep in a mature system if you can supply live foods. Description: Body slender and snout elongate a slender tail without a fin. The body widens out and looks flattened in females, males are more slender with a brood pouch on the underside of the tail immediately behind the anal fin. No tail fin. Grows to 16.2 cm. Habitat: Usually found inhabiting harbours and sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky areas in fairly shallow water, can be found in deeper waters as well. They are more active at dusk and night than in the daytime spending most of the day anchored by their tail to rocks or weed. Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Pipefish feed on small crustaceans, such as amphipods and shrimp, which are sucked into their tube-like snouts and ingested whole, in the aquarium they can be fed on live mysid Shrimp, mosquito wrigglers, daphnia and whiteworms (very fatty) also frozen foods such as mysid and brineshrimp Special Requirements: Pipefish should only be kept in a mature, cycled marine aquarium. Their tank must have gentle to moderate currents for them as they are not strong swimmers and to enable them to be able to feed properly. Very hard to get to accept frozen foods Incompatibilities: Easily out competed for food by faster fish, does well with Weed fish and seahorses. Golden Crested Weedfish Cristiceps aurantiacus Difficulty: Hard to keep if you can’t provide live food for it, Pods or brine shrimp Description: A golden yellow coloured fish that resembles a piece of seaweed, large crest on its forehead, can grow up to 25cm. Its behaviour and colouration make it hard to spot as they walk rather than swim by using their long pelvic and pectoral fins and t move any distance they mimic a piece of weed and roll along the bottom. Habitat: Found around New Zealand in rock pools and to depths of 10 metres, usually amongst rock and areas of seaweed. Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Their food is small crustaceans and larval fish, so live foods are a must in the tank if you want to keep this fish alive Special Requirements: Need live foods, hard to wean onto frozens, Daphnia and mosquito larvae will be eaten Incompatibilities: Easily out competed for food by faster fish, does well with seahorses and pipefish. Orange clinid Ericentrus rubrus Difficulty: Medium, need constant live food. Description: Body orangey brown with variegated markings, white stripe on forehead. The body is flattened to resemble a piece of seaweed. Grows to 10.5 cm. Habitat: Usually found inhabiting harbours and sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky areas in fairly shallow water, Occurs in rock pools and subtidal area down to 30 m. Usually found living on brown algae (Carpophyllumand Cystophora). Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: They need live food as they feed on small crustaceans, such as amphipods, in the aquarium they can be fed on live mysid Shrimp, mosquito wrigglers, daphnia and whiteworms (very fatty) and hatched brineshrimp. Special Requirements: Weedfish should only be kept in a mature, cycled marine aquarium. Their tank must have gentle to moderate currents for them as they are not strong swimmers and to enable them to be able to feed properly. Very hard to get to accept frozen foods Incompatibilities: Easily out competed for food by faster fish, does well with other Weed fish, pipefish and seahorses. Hiwihiwi Chironemus marmoratus Pic by Puttputt Difficulty: Easy to keep in a mature system Description: Lovely patterned native fish, small beak like mouth. Bown and white patterns. Grows to 25-30cm. Habitat: Found around coastal reefs and rocky coast, lives amongst kelp type weed. Temperament: A peaceful but boisterous fish Minimun Tank Size: 400 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: A easy to care for fish, eats just about anything Special Requirements: No special requirements, easy to feed, large tank requires as grows to a reasonable size. Incompatibilities: can hassle timid fish away from their food. Red Moki Goniistius spectabilis Difficulty: Easy. Description: white fish with several black vertical stripes on body, rubbery lips and large pectoral fins. Grows up to 60cm, 3kgs Habitat: Usually found offshore around the North Island of N.Z. over reefs and sandy bottoms to 50m. Juvenile fish can be caught in shallow water amongst rocks and weed, from December to March. Temperament: Peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Feeds on molluscs, crustaceans etc, so readily accept all meaty foods. Special Requirements: Good clean water, swimming space, as they are a quota fish they have a minimum legal size so need a large tank. Incompatibilities: Territorial with own species even as a juvenile. Tarakihi Nemadactylus macropterus Difficulty: Medium. Description: Silvery fish with black saddle mark behind head, rubbery lips and large pectoral fins. Grows up to 60cm, 3kgs Habitat: Usually found offshore around N.Z. over reefs and sandy bottoms to 50m. Temperament: A peaceful fish Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Feeds on molluscs, crustaceans etc, so readily accept all meaty foods. Special Requirements: Good clean water, swimming space, as they are a quota fish they have a minimum legal size so need a large tank. Incompatibilities: Porcupine Fish Allomycterus jaculiferus Difficulty: Easy. Description: The body colour is grey-brown with a white stomach and irregular blackish patches on the back and sides and the head is large and bony and the body is long, tapered and covered in spines. When excited it inflates with water to the size of a small football. Grows up to 60cm. This fish is poisonous to eat as it contains the powerful nerve toxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) in its skin and intestines. Habitat: Usually found offshore around the North Island of N.Z. over reefs and sandy bottoms to 50m. less common in the South Island Temperament: Peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms, so readily accept all meaty foods. Special Requirements: Good clean water, swimming space. Incompatibilities: Banded Wrasse Pseudolabrus fucicola Difficulty: Easy. Description: It is a typical elongate wrasse shape with the body coloured in alternate green and yellow-brown bars running in wide vertical bands along its length. Young fish start are a redish brown colour and get more green-brown with yellow bars on their flanks. Adult Males are very similar in appearance but the bands are a darker purplish colour. Up to 60 cm. Habitat: Found off the east coast of Northland in New Zealand, in weedy reef areas at depths of between 10 and 30 m. Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Can be aggressive towards its own species as they grow. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: feed on a variety of invertebrates, hermit and other crabs, molluscs, andechinoderms the rocks in the tank. Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: further notes Beautiful bright green wrasse, very similar to the comman spotty without the attitude. East to keep, feeds on a variety of foods readily. This is an energetic fish that loves to show off, friendly with all other tankmates, note these will eat and attack any shrimp or crabs. Reccommended but only to a larger aqaurium with a lot of swimming space, great personality fish. Easily caught around central north islands in and around kelp beds close in to rocks. Scarlet Wrasse Pseudolabrus miles Difficulty: Easy. Description: The scarlet wrasse is an elongate fish of typical wrasse shape. Yong fish have a red head and horizontal reddish and white lines on the sides with three pale orangish spots at the base of the dorsal fin. The tail is orange with a black vertical bar at its base. Older males have bright red body, yellow flanks and belly and a prominent white patch behind the head. Grows to between 20 and 40 cms. Habitat: Found around New Zealand in deeper offshore reefs areas at depths of between 5 and 100 metres Temperament: Can be aggressive. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Scarlet wrasses feed on a variety of invertebrates, hermit and other crabs, molluscs, and echinoderms Will eat anything you feed it Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: Not recommended, beautiful but very aggressive fish, very easy to keep but only suited to a very large tank with other large fish not of the wrasse family. Would attack and nip fins of all fish, very territorial but friendly not shy. Eastern Red Scorpionfish Scorpaena cardinalis. Southern Red Scorpionfish, Scorpaena. Papillosa. Pic by Oceandose Difficulty: Easy. Description: Two species of Scorpion fish occur in N.Z. waters; both have bodies that are short and compressed with filaments on fins and skin flaps on the body to disguise their shape. The main differences between them are colouration and size, The Eastern Red Scorpionfish is usually bright red. Although its body coloration can be quite variable, it grows to over 40 cm long, whereas the Southern Red Scorpionfish is not bright red but is usually darker from brown or black to sometimes reddish-brown, it grows to less than 20 cm. Habitat: Most commonly found around the coast of New Zealand on rocky reefs from 5 to 100 meters. Temperament: Predatory. Minimun Tank Size: 300 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Scorpionfish are predatory fish with a big mouth so it will eat any small fishes and invertebrates that will fit in it. It can be hard to wean onto frozen or dead food as its hunting tactic is to lie motionless on the bottom and wait for food to pass by. Special Requirements: Live foods until acclimatised, Incompatibilities: Be very careful when handling as these fish have toxins in there fin spines which can be very painful for hours if you are spiked. From Oceandose Scorpian Fish/ grandaddy hapuka Another fantastic fish to keep when at a smaller size. But they will eat anything that fits into there mouth, which means fish half there size will be eaten. They are generally night hunters, so its not recommended to have these with smaller fish like triplefins ect. Amazing fish that can change colour to hide in its environment, can be fun trying to find them sometimes, easily kept eats any food that falls in front of it. Caught normally out on offshore reefs, but young can be netted in rockpools if your lucky enough to find one Moon or Lunar wrasse Thalassoma lunare Difficulty: Easy. Description: Typical elongate wrasse shape with the body dark green to blue with Head green to blue with irregular pink to violet ban Adults are identified by the yellow crescent tail, and blue pectoral fins with a large elongate pink area distally. Grows to 25.0 cm to 35cm. Habitat: Found around coastal reefs, and in protected seaward reefs around northern New Zealand at depths of from 1 - 20 m Reported to have formed a hybrid with Thalassoma rueppellii , a rare find in N.Z. Temperament: Fairly peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Feeds mainly on small benthic invertebrates and fish eggs, Can be adjusted easily to frozen foods but will benefit from live food in the tank. Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: Can be harassed by larger wrasses. Crimson cleaner fish Suezichthys aylingi Difficulty: Medium. Description: The Crimson Cleaner has a two colour phases as it grows, the juvenile phase colour is a red-orange body above and paler below with a white-bordered black ocellus at the base of the dorsal fin. The adult phase colour turns to a deep crimson body, slightly paler below and a white stripe running from the head to the tail, the head has blue lines on it. Grows to between 10 and 12 cm. Habitat: Found around North Eastern New Zealand, usually over reef areas from 6 - 100 m. Temperament: Peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: This species removes parasites and damaged scales and skin from other fishes it also feeds on small crustaceans so Needs live foods until acclimatised. Special Requirements: Need room to swim, Incompatibilities: Very hard to maintain in the aquarium and can start nipping other fish. Orange wrasse Pseudolabrus luculentus Difficulty: Easy. Description: like many species of wrasses, the Orange wrasse goes through different colour phases depending on their age and sex, It’s colours are highly variable from grey to brown to bright orange and red-brown. Males have black and white splotching on their backs, females have several white lines under their eyes, but lack the blotches seen in males. Grows to between 40 and 60 cm Habitat: Found around New Zealand including the Kermadec Islands over rocky reefs at depths up to 50m., Temperament: Can be aggressive. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Feeds mainly on small benthic invertebrates like ophiuroids, chitons, amphipods, and small gastropods. Will eat anything you feed it once acclimatised Special Requirements: Need room to swim, From Bluether Grey Mullet Mugil cephalus Difficulty: Medium Description: Silver body tending to grey/green on back. Four rays in fist dorsal fin. Pectoral fins very high on body and held out from body Temperament: Placid Minimun Tank Size: 400+ litres at a guess, can grow large in the wild Tank Age / Maturity: well established Special Requirements: Diatomes etc to feed on as fry. Will sift sand for food, will eventually take commercial foods. These fish will spend large amounts of time in fresh water over summer, and have been recorded over 160 km inland. Incompatibilities: ??? Size: upto 50cm in the wild I have 2 left (of about 8) of these fish that were caught as about 25mm fry in fresh water. They have been in FW since capture and took a long time to except commercial foods. 1 died within a day of capture and then slowly over the next months the others got thinner untill passing on. the last 4 all were eating commercial foods but I think that two of them had gone too far backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjansss Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Awsome stuff but I thought you should know I've seen black angel fish when snorkelling at60cm or more long and about 40 cms high Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Yes the juveniles I had were caught in a rockpool at 60cm or more long and about 40 cms high those are big angels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiraka Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Awesome to see fish that I've never been able to identify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Those lunar wrasses are native?!! Don't people keep them in tropical tanks? And aren't they aggressive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Found in nz waters, all wrasses can be aggressive, not as bad as Humbug damsels. Have one of these in my coldwater tank too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Rock Cod, Bearded Cod Lotella rhacinus Pic from http://australianmuseum.net.au Difficulty: Medium. Description: The Rock Cod is yellow-grey to red-brown with white fin margins. It has an eel shaped body which is covered with tiny cycloid scales. There is a barbel on the chin and juvenile fish are black in colour Habitat: They are found around the coastline It is usually seen in caves, in bays and coastal reefs, depth range 10 - 90 m Temperament: Usually peaceful. Minimun Tank Size: 400 litres, more as it matures. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and meaty foods. Special Requirements: As they are cave dwellers nooks and crannies should be provided. Incompatibilities: Seem to do well with all fish so long as they don’t fit in its mouth. Kahawai. Arripis trutta, Difficulty: Medium. Description: The Kahawai has a dark bluish-green body, indistinct rows of spots forming narrow irregular bands on upper sides. Juveniles have golden bars on the upper sides that break up into spots in larger individuals, a yellowish pectoral fin with a black basal spot, a black margin on the caudal fin an grows in size from 40 to 60cm. Habitat: They are found all around the New Zealand coastline from estuaries to depths of 90 m. Temperament: Predatory. Minimun Tank Size: 1,000 litres, more as it matures. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and meaty foods. Special Requirements: Lots of swimming room, a very fast fish that does not settle well to Aquarium life as the take fright easily. Incompatibilities: Seem to do well with all fish so long as they don’t fit in its mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 What is the legalitiy of collecting species that are managed under the QMS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Technically illegal to take undersized fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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