List of freshwater fish of New Zealand

This is a list of all species of fish that are or were known to occur in freshwater habitats of New Zealand. The list includes 63 species as of June 2025. It is based on those currently listed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1]

Family Species Common name NZTCS Notes Image
Anguillidae Anguilla dieffenbachii New Zealand longfin eel Declining Catadromous (spawns at sea)
Anguilla australis Short-finned eel Not Threatened Also found in Australia and elsewhere in the southwest Pacific. Catadromous (spawns at sea)
Anguilla reinhardtii Speckled longfin eel/Australian long-finned eel Coloniser First confirmed in 1997 to have established in New Zealand.[2] Catadromous (spawns at sea)
Cheimarrichthyidae Cheimarrichthys fosteri Torrentfish/panoko Declining Amphidromous (visit the sea in youth but return)
Cyprinidae Carassius auratus Goldfish Introduced and Naturalised
Cyprinus carpio Common carp Introduced and Naturalised
Eleotridae Gobiomorphus hubbsi Bluegill bully Declining
Gobiomorphus alpinus Tarndale bully Naturally Uncommon
Gobiomorphus gobioides Giant bully/tītarakura/tīpokopoko Naturally Uncommon
Gobiomorphus basalis Cran's bully Not Threatened
Gobiomorphus breviceps Upland bully Not Threatened
Gobiomorphus cotidianus Common bully/Toitoi Not Threatened
Gobiomorphus huttoni Redfin bully Not Threatened
Galaxiidae Galaxias cobitinis Lowland longjaw galaxias Nationally Critical
Neochanna burrowsius Canterbury Mudfish Nationally Critical
Galaxias anomalus Roundhead galaxias Nationally Endangered
Galaxias eldoni Eldon's galaxias Nationally Endangered
Galaxias pullus Dusky galaxias Nationally Endangered
Galaxias depressiceps Flathead galaxias Nationally Vulnerable
Galaxias gollumoides Gollum galaxias Nationally Vulnerable
Galaxias macronasus Bignose galaxias Nationally Vulnerable
Galaxias postvectis Shortjaw kōkopu Nationally Vulnerable
Galaxias prognathus Longjawed galaxias Nationally Vulnerable
Neochanna heleios Northland mudfish Nationally Vulnerable
Galaxias argenteus Giant kōkopu Declining
Galaxias brevipinnis Climbing galaxias/kōaro Declining
Galaxias divergens Dwarf galaxias Declining
Galaxias maculatus Common galaxias/inanga Declining
Galaxias vulgaris Common river galaxias/Canterbury galaxias Declining
Neochanna apoda Brown mudfish Declining
Neochanna diversus Black mudfish Declining
Galaxias paucispondylus Alpine galaxias Naturally Uncommon
Neochanna rekohua Chatham mudfish Naturally Uncommon
Galaxias fasciatus Banded kōkopu Not Threatened
Geotriidae Geotria australis Pouched lamprey Nationally Vulnerable
Gobiidae Gobiopterus semivestitus Glassgoby Coloniser First detected in 2008.[3]
Parioglossus marginalis Blackmargin dartfish Coloniser Needs saltwater to survive, but tolerates excursions into freshwater streams.[4]
Acentrogobius pflaumii Striped Sandgoby Introduced and Naturalised Can occur in brackish estuaries
Arenigobius bifrenatus Bridled goby Introduced and Naturalised Occurs in estuaries
Ictaluridae Ameiurus nebulosus Brown bullhead Introduced and Naturalised
Leuciscidae Leuciscus idus Orfe Introduced and Naturalised
Scardinius erythrophthalmus Common rudd Introduced and Naturalised
Mugilidae Aldrichetta forsteri Yellow-eye mullet Not Threatened Common in river estuaries and can travel several kilometers upstream.[5]
Mugil cephalus Flathead grey mullet Not Threatened Marine species but can travel significant distances upstream.[6]
Percidae Perca fluviatilis European perch Introduced and Naturalised
Poeciliidae Gambusia affinis Mosquitofish Introduced and Naturalised
Phalloceros caudimaculatus Dusky millions fish Introduced and Naturalised
Poecilia latipinna Sailfin molly Introduced and Naturalised
Poecilia reticulata Guppy Introduced and Naturalised
Xiphophorus hellerii Green swordtail Introduced and Naturalised Only known from Waipahihi Stream near Taupō. Possibly extinct from New Zealand.[7]
Retropinnidae Prototroctes oxyrhynchus New Zealand Grayling Extinct Last sighted in 1929 and was formally declared extinct in 2018.[8]
Stokellia anisodon Stokell's smelt Naturally Uncommon
Retropinna retropinna New Zealand smelt Not Threatened
Rhombosoleidae Rhombosolea retiaria Black flounder/Mohoao Not Threatened
Salmonidae Oncorhynchus mykiss Rainbow trout Introduced and Naturalised
Oncorhynchus nerka Sockeye salmon Introduced and Naturalised
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Chinook salmon Introduced and Naturalised
Salmo salar Atlantic salmon Introduced and Naturalised
Salmo trutta Brown trout Introduced and Naturalised
Salvelinus fontinalis Brook trout Introduced and Naturalised
Salvelinus namaycush Lake trout Introduced and Naturalised
Tincidae Tinca tinca Tench Introduced and Naturalised
Tripterygiidae Forsterygion nigripenne Estuarine triplefin Not Threatened Primarily known from estuaries but can sometimes be found in lower reaches of streams and rivers[9]

References

  1. ^ Dunn NR, Allibone RM, Closs GP, Crow SK, David BO, Goodman JM, Griffiths M, Jack DC, Ling N, Waters JM, Rolfe JR. 2017. Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fishes. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 24. Wellington: Department of Conservation.
  2. ^ "Australian longfin eel | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  3. ^ McDowall, R. M.; David, B. O. (1 September 2008). "Gobiopterus in New Zealand (Teleostei: Gobiidae), with observations on sexual dimorphism". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 42 (3): 325–331. Bibcode:2008NZJMF..42..325M. doi:10.1080/00288330809509960. ISSN 0028-8330.
  4. ^ "Dart goby | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Yelloweye mullet | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Grey mullet | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Other Poeciliidae | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  8. ^ Dunn, Nicholas R.; Allibone, Richard M.; Closs, Gerard P.; Crow, Shannan K.; David, Bruno O.; Goodman, Jane M.; Griffiths, Marc; Jack, Daniel C.; Ling, Nicholas. "Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fishes, 2017". New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 24. Jonathan M. Waters and Jeremy R. Rolfe. Department of Conservation: 8.
  9. ^ "Estuarine triplefin | NIWA". niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
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