Fish of the year

Te Ika o Te Tau 2024

Experiencing Marine Reserves' annual Fish of the Year | Te Ika o Te Tau competition aims to raise awareness for some of the issues our awesome ika face and teach people about the incredible biodiversity in our freshwater and marine environments. Voting has closed and Fish of the Year 2024 has been decided! See the winner announcement below!

Are you ready to discover some of Aotearoa's favourite Ika?

Meet the ocean voyagers, the camoflaguers, the freshwater migrants and more!

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Fish of the Year | Te Ika o Te Tau is made possible through your donations and our incredible backers.

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The Fish

Anchovies | Kokowhawha | Engraulis australis

Anchovies are a common fish around the North Island of New Zealand. They are found in large schools on the surface of fish between 8-12cm in length. They are a bright silver colour with an iridescent blue/green back, helping them to counter shade against the light in the ocean. They huddle together in tightly packed schools to escape predators, with many eyes keeping a look out for predators. Anchovies are an important food source for many fish including kahawai, mackerel and kingfish. These dense schools are also predated on by dolphins, seabirds and gannets - with large multispecies foraging associations forming around large schools of anchovies.

Image credit: John Sear (iNaturalist).

Anchovies are being backed by Auckland Sea Kayaks and Waiheke Marine Project in 2024

Basking sharks | Reremai | Cetorhinus maximus

Once abundant in some waters around New Zealand, the basking shark, the second largest fish in the world, is now a rare species to spot. In the past, aggregations of hundreds of basking sharks could be found off the coast of Kaikoura and Bank's peninsula. Unlike their toothy cousins, these sharks are filter feeders, swimming through the water filter feeding zooplankton and crustaceans in the water column. They favour coastal reagions with high plankton abundance and productivity.

The major threats to basking sharks are directed fisheries and incidental bycatch in commercial and artisanal (traditional or small scale) fisheries. Basking sharks are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. This means it is illegal to hunt, kill or harm basking sharks within New Zealand’s Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nm limit around New Zealand).

Basking sharks are being backed by Auckland University Underwater Club in 2024!

Manaia | Big-belly seahorse | Hippocampus abdominalis

Big-bellied seahorse | Manaia | Hippocampus abdominalis

Seahorses belong to the syngnathidae family, consisting of pipefishes, seahorses and seadragons! Big-bellied seahorses are the only seahorse species found around the New Zealand coastline and are one of the largest species in the world - growing up to 35cm! This seahorse is found among algae, seagrasses, and rocky reefs in shallow water and is attached to sponges and colonial hydroids in deeper areas. Seahorses are voracious feeders, eating mainly crustaceans, such as shrimp, and other small animals living among the seaweed, such as copepods and amphipods.

Male big bellied seahorses are super-dads, caring 300-700 young at a time in their pouch, caring for up to four broods in summer months.

Black angelfish | Mata | Parma alboscapularis

Black angelfish are encountered in shallow rock-reefs in north-east NZ and offshore islands and feed on algae, salp and fish-eggs. Males (black with white spot) are fierce defenders of nesting sites, clearing seaweed and small animals from boulders with females picking the most beautiful boulder to lay their sticky eggs. Juvenile black angelfish are easily distinguished from other fish by their yellow-brown with iridescent blue lines!

Blue Cod | Rāwaru | Parapercis colias

Blue cod are bottom-dwelling predators which are endemic to New Zealand and common in Southern wanters to depths of 150m. They eat crustaceans, small fish, kina, worms and shellfish. They change sex from female to male, with males generally larger than females, reaching lengths of 60cm. These males control a large territory which they actively maintain to keep free of males. These cod have thick lipped mouths with rotating eyes, they are inquisitive and often approach snorkelers and divers within marine protected areas. They are a blush green to blue-black with white towards the belly. Larger ones are usually greenish blue while smaller ones are blotchy with brown patches.

They have strong tips on their anal fins which provide support when they’re resting on the ocean floor.

Black mudfish | hauhau/waikaka/kōwaro | Neochanna diversus

Mudfish are long, skinny fish from the galaxiidae family. These survivalists are a threatened endemic species which have the ability to survive during times when there is no surface water - dropping their metabolism and slowly absorbing oxygen through their skin. However, surviving these dry periods is very stressful, with mudfish being in poor condition and having lower breeding success after water returns. Mudfish are at risk of habitat modification and degradation, such as wetland drainage, land clearance and modification of streams and habitats. In an effort to restore populations, Auckland Zoo has been breeding black mudfish, which were once widespread in Waikato, Auckland and Northland before widespread loss of habitat. As part of their 'Wild Work', the Zoo hopes to release black mudfish to the wild to help restore these biologically fascinating creatures!

Image credit: Auckland Zoo, Spinoff Partner Article

Butterfish | Mararī / Kōeaea | Odax Pullus

These kelp forest dwellers are found throughout New Zealand's rocky reefs and are endemic - only found in New Zealand. Butterfish are easily identified by their wavy mohawk of broad sweeping dorsal and anal fins which help them blend into the kelp around them. They are all born female, with the biggest and boldest females transitioning to become males and protect the harem and territory, existing in groups consisting of one male and several females. Females are brown-olive green whereas males are dark green to dark blue-black. Butterfish rely on healthy, balanced reefs with plenty of kelp, feeding mainly on brown algae like carpophyllum. As more of our rocky reefs decline in health and become kina barrens, butterfish habitats disappear. Butterfish are omnivorous, eating kelp and kelp-dwelling microorganisms. They are ~40 cm long, with males larger than females.

Blue-eyed triplefin | Ruanoho | Notoclinops segmentatus

Triplefin fishes are the most abundant of New Zealand’s shallow-water subtidal reef fish. The blue-eyed triplefin is endemic to New Zealand and is easily recognisable by its iridescent blue eyes and red bands. It is a small ~6cm long fish which can be found in rocky reefs on steep slopes and overhangs from Cape Reinga to the Stewart Island! During breeding season, the males become brighter and set up nests in small depressions on rock faces. The males will often guard eggs from several females - super dad! There are 27 endemic species of triplefins in New Zealand! We are the triplefin capital of the world, with ~⅙ of all triplefin species being only found in New Zealand.

Image credit: Paul Caiger

Blue maomao | Scorpis violaceus

Blue maomao are schooling fish that stay close to the shore and inhabit rocky reefs to depths of 30m. When young, Blue Maomao are not blue yet but they are grey with a yellow anal fin. As they grow bigger, they become more blue and their anal fin loses its yellow colour. The young fish are found in very shallow water behind boulders and in crevices in the wave zone, often in company of young Sweep that look very much alike.

The iconic blue mao mao arch at the Poor Knights is a must-see destination for any kiwi thanks to the large schools of blue mao mao that congregate there, creating a magnificently bright blue wonderland, as the light floods in. Safety in numbers is key. Blue mao mao move in schools to make it harder for predators to pick them off.

Blue maomao are being backed by Te Rangi i Taiawhiaotia Trust Trust in 2024!

Voting has closed!

Te Ika o Te Tau | Fish of the Year 2024 Winner Announcement

Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) was stoked to run the fourth annual Fish of the Year | Te Ika o te Tau 2024 campaign.

Pūteketeke? We'll take paketi thanks! Fish of the Year voting open

Experiencing Marine Reserve's annual Fish of the Year | Te Ika o te Tau competition aims to raise awareness for some of the issues our ika f

Sponsorship in 2024

Thank you to our backers and sponsors for 2024! Want your logo here?

Back a fish

Team Anchovy

Team Basking Shark

Team Blue Maomao

Te Rangi i Taiawhiaotia Trust

Team Common Bully

Common Triplefin

Team Giant Kōkopu

Team Hāpuku

Team Īnanga

Team Lamprey

Team Shortjaw Kōkopu

Team Tupere

Team Tāmure

Team Spotty

Team Spotted Stargazer

Team Trevally

Team Whale Shark

FOTY has been made possible through the generous contribution from the

Colouring in Competition

There are also prizes for the Fish of the Year colouring in competition, click the images to download a high resolution PDF. Which you can either print or colour in digitally.

Send us a photo of your colouring-in sheet to go in the draw to win some jaw-some Fish of the Year prizes!

Email competitions@emr.org.nz

Braith, xxx Harrison, Aiesha-rose_Page_1.jpg

Previous winners

Terms and conditions

Each email is able to cast 1 votes - with 3 nominees per vote. Additional votes will be voided.
For each nomination, you may only select one fish. If you select more than one. That nomination will be voided.
You may nominate the same fish 3 times within one vote.
The fish with the most votes will be declared the winner for 2024.

Fish of the year

Te Ika o Te Tau 2024

Donate to Fish of the Year

The Fish

Voting has closed!

Sponsorship in 2024

Team Anchovy

Team Anchovy

Team Basking Shark

Team Blue Maomao

Team Common Bully

Common Triplefin

Team Giant Kōkopu

Team Hāpuku

Team Īnanga

Team Lamprey

Team Shortjaw Kōkopu

Team Tupere

Team Tāmure

Team Spotty

Team Spotted Stargazer

Team Trevally

Team Whale Shark

Colouring in Competition

Previous winners

Terms and conditions

Contact Us
General Enquiries

Our supporters

Fish of the year

Te Ika o Te Tau 2024

Donate to Fish of the Year

The Fish

Voting has closed!

Sponsorship in 2024

Team Anchovy

Team Anchovy

Team Basking Shark

Team Blue Maomao

Team Common Bully

Common Triplefin

Team Giant Kōkopu

Team Hāpuku

Team Īnanga

Team Lamprey

Team Shortjaw Kōkopu

Team Tupere

Team Tāmure

Team Spotty

Team Spotted Stargazer

Team Trevally

Team Whale Shark

Colouring in Competition

Previous winners

Terms and conditions

Contact Us General Enquiries

Our supporters

Contact Us
General Enquiries