New Zealand fishes A field guide to common species caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing Cover photos: Top – Kingfish (Seriola lalandi), Malcolm Francis. Top left – Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), Malcolm Francis. Centre – Catch of hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), Neil Bagley (NIWA). Bottom left – Jack mackerel (Trachurus sp.), Malcolm Francis. Bottom – Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), NIWA. New Zealand fishes A field guide to common species caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No: 208 Prepared for Fisheries New Zealand by P. J. McMillan M. P. Francis G. D. James L. J. Paul P. Marriott E. J. Mackay B. A. Wood D. W. Stevens L. H. Griggs S. J. Baird C. D. Roberts‡ A. L. Stewart‡ C. D. Struthers‡ J. E. Robbins NIWA, Private Bag 14901, Wellington 6241 ‡ Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, 6011Wellington ISSN 1176-9440 (print) ISSN 1179-6480 (online) ISBN 978-1-98-859425-5 (print) ISBN 978-1-98-859426-2 (online) 2019 Disclaimer While every effort was made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, Fisheries New Zealand does not accept any responsibility or liability for error of fact, omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information. Requests for further copies should be directed to: Publications Logistics Officer Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 WELLINGTON 6140 Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 Facsimile: 04-894 0300 This publication is also available on the Ministry for Primary Industries website at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-resources/publications/ A higher resolution (larger) PDF of this guide is also available by application to: [email protected] Citation: McMillan, P.J.; Francis, M.P.; James, G.D.; Paul, L.J.; Marriott, P.; Mackay, E.; Wood, B.A.; Stevens, D.W.; Griggs, L.H.; Baird, S.J.; Roberts, C.D.; Stewart, A.L.; Struthers, C.D.; Robbins, J.E. (2019). New Zealand fishes. A field guide to common species caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 208. © Crown Copyright – Fisheries New Zealand Contents 1 PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE 4 2 ORGANISATION OF THE GUIDE 4 3 METHODS USED FOR THE FAMILY AND SPECIES GUIDES 4 4 DATA STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL 6 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6 SECTION 1. EXTERNAL FEATURES OF FISHES 7 SECTION 2. GUIDE TO FAMILIES 13 SECTION 3. GUIDE TO SPECIES 33 SECTION 4. Indexes 257 Index 1 – Alphabetical list of family scientific names 258 Index 2 – Alphabetical list of family common names 261 Index 3 – Alphabetical list of species scientific names 264 Index 4 – Alphabetical list of species common names 272 Index 5 – Alphabetical list of FishNZ research codes 280 Index 6 – Alphabetical list of FishNZ reporting codes 288 This Guide contains the following electronic links: 1. Contents page – link to each subheading, section, or index. 2. Section 2. Guide to families – link from each family image to the first species in the family in Section 3, Guide to species. 3. Indexes (all). Link from each page number listed to the species page in Section 3, Guide to species. Links are indicated by a hand symbol when the mouse cursor is positioned over the line (Contents), image (Family guide) or page number (Indexes). 1 PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE family was adapted mainly from Carpenter & Niem (1998, 1999, This single-volume guide describes over 400 of the more common 2001), Gomon et al. (2008), Nelson (2006), and Roberts et al. marine fishes caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing (2015). An example species image for each family is provided as a methods in New Zealand seas. This revised and updated guide quick visual guide to general body shape. replaces the three-volume set of guides published in 2011 (b) Guide to species (McMillan et al. 2011a-c). Species within each family are arranged alphabetically by It is intended for field use particularly by fisheries observers, scientific name, i.e., by genus name then by species name. Bottom researchers, and fishers who may or may not have specialist and midwater trawl species were selected from records in the knowledge about the taxonomy of fishes. Accurate and rapid Fisheries New Zealand research trawl (trawl) database and the identification of catches at sea is an important pre-requisite for Observer database. obtaining good quality data about fish catches, for monitoring changes in fish abundance and enabling fisheries managers to Selection of the surface species was based on lists of species make informed decisions about fishstock sustainability. given by Griggs et al. (2008) “Fish bycatch in New Zealand tuna longline fisheries in 2005–06”, and Bagley et al. (2000) “Atlas of Technical terms are kept to a minimum, and identification features New Zealand fish and squid distributions from midwater trawls, that can be readily observed on freshly caught specimens without tuna longline sets, and aerial sightings”. dissection or microscopic examination are provided. Field guides are not a substitute for more comprehensive taxonomic guides All known QMS fish species (February 2018) were included and where identification remains uncertain. The most comprehensive the species image for each includes a QMS label in the top right reference for identifying New Zealand fishes is the book “The corner. All protected species likely to be caught by bottom, Fishes of New Zealand”, Roberts et al. (2015), see Key references at midwater, or surface fishing were included and the species image the end of Section 1 below. for each includes a PROTECTED label in the top right corner. An additional group of 54 species included were selected based 2 ORGANISATION OF THE GUIDE on information provided in Roberts et al. (2015), e.g., individual The guide covers 444 species from 152 families, including species of the catshark Apristurus which were previously only hagfishes, cartilaginous (chimaeras, sharks, skates, and rays) and identified to genus. Species were also added based on need, e.g., bony teleost fishes. It includes species that are commonly caught several abundant larger midwater fishes e.g., Dana lanternfish and sold, i.e., “commercial”, as well as those that are not, i.e., “non - (Diaphus danae), were added because recent fisheries surveys commercial”. required routine identification of these species. Taxonomic information, distribution and species codes were The following is provided for each species: updated. Slight changes to the layout enabled the display of two species per page instead of one and resulted in a reduction of the 1. Species common name. These were extracted from the guide from three to one volume. FishNZ database of research species codes, and some additional names were taken from Roberts et al. (2015). There are four main sections. 2. Species scientific name. Updated using Roberts et al. (2015) 1. External features of fishes. Illustrations of some of the essential and Eschmeyer et al. (2018). technical terms used to identify fishes, including a glossary of technical terms used are provided as an introduction to the main 3. Family scientific name. Roberts et al. (2015) was the source identification sections. of these names and checks were made using Eschmeyer et al. (2018). In a few cases the family name used in Roberts et al. 2. Guide to families. Recognising the taxonomic family to which (2015) was not confirmed in Eschmeyer et al. (2018) but was a species belongs is often the first step in identification. The still used. Family name numbers were those of Nelson (2006) taxonomic family guide provides distinguishing features for each supplemented by ‘a’, ‘b’, etc where subfamilies listed by Nelson of the families covered, and a small image of an example species (2006) were elevated to family in the guide. from each family. 4. Family common name. Mostly from Nelson (2006), 3. Guide to species. This section makes up most of the guide, supplemented by Roberts et al. (2015). and includes detailed information for each species. This includes an annotated colour image or line drawing of the fish to illustrate 5. Maori names. These were from Anon (1995) and Strickland distinguishing features; a New Zealand distribution map; and text (1990). Many species may have more than one name covering distinguishing features, colour, size, length measurement depending on the region because iwi (tribes) may use different method, distribution, depth, similar species, and biology and names, and there may also be names for some young stages. ecology. No entry in this field indicates that we were unable to locate a Maori name. 4. Indexes These are provided for: family scientific names, family common names, species scientific names, species common names 6. Other names. Other common names used in New Zealand Fisheries New Zealand (FishNZ) three-letter observer/research and overseas. No entry in this field indicates that we were codes, and reporting codes. unable to locate another relevant common name. 7. FishNZ reporting code. FishNZ supplied a list of three letter 3 METHODS USED FOR THE FAMILY AND SPECIES GUIDES codes used in QMS reporting. In some cases, the codes differ (a) Guide to families for different form types, e.g., sand flounder catch would be Families are arranged in taxonomic order based on evolutionary recorded as SFL on the effort part of the return and FLA on the complexity following Nelson (2006) “Fishes of the World”. The first landing part. family listed is the hagfishes (Myxinidae), a group of primitive jaw- 8. FishNZ observer/research code. Three letter codes used by less fishes, and the last family is the sunfishes or molas (Molidae), observers and for fisheries research surveys. These may differ whose members are thought to be highly evolved (derived) fishes from the QMS reporting codes; and may distinguish related with loss of the caudal fin and a unique oval body form.