Areas of importance for spawning, pupping or egg-laying and juveniles of New Zealand coastal fish. NIWA Technical Report, December 2000. Final Research Report for Ministry of Fisheries Research Project ENV 1999/03 Objective 1. 

Hurst, R J., Stevenson, M L., Bagley, N W., Griggs, L H., Morrison, M A., Francis, M P. 

2000 

Ministry of Fisheries 

 

Report 

This report summarises information on important areas for spawning, pupping, egg-laying, and juveniles of 35 important fish species which occur in under 200 m depth. Data came from published and unpublished literature, as well as Ministry of' Fisheries research and commercial scientific observer databases. Some data were also provided from research programmes funded by the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology and the Department of Conservation. Data summaries include distribution maps of ripe, running ripe and spent fish, monthly proportions of gonad maturity stages by area, distribution maps of juveniles and adults, catch rate plots of juveniles from research trawl survey time series, catch rate plots of juveniles from beach seine surveys of northern harbours, results of dive surveys in the Marlborough Sounds. To enable some assimilation of the data presented, summaries of spawning and juvenile abundance are provided, by species and area. These summaries can be used to examine similarities between species (e.g., elephantfish, rig, and school shark all appear to show some similarity in their preference to pup or lay eggs in shallow water and for very young juveniles to be found in shallow coastal areas). The summaries can also be used to determine which areas are important as nursery grounds for which species (e.g., juvenile barracouta, jack mackerel (Trachurus novaezelandiae), kahawai, rig, and snapper are all relatively abundant, at least occasionally, in the inner Hauraki Gulf). Overall conclusions from the study are: that most areas around New Zealand in less than 200 m depth are important for either spawning or juveniles of one or more coastal species; that some of these areas are also important for juveniles of deeper spawning species (e.g., hake and ling); and, conversely, that some "coastal" species extend into depths over 200 m, either as juveniles, or to spawn (e.g., red cod, giant stargazer). 

Fisheries 

Fisheries, spawning, egg-laying, juvenile fish, New Zealand, Kaipara Harbour, pupping, spatial patterns of distribution 

Hurstetal2000_Areas_of_importance_for_spawning_pupping_or_egglaying_andjuv_of_NZcoastalfish.pdf