Hāpuku

Hāpuku, found at depths of 50–850 meters, are large predators feeding on fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans like cod, hoki, crabs, and crayfish. Slow-growing and long-lived, they can weigh up to 100 kg, but are usually around 25 kg. Once common in shallow coastal reefs, overfishing has pushed them to deeper waters. The loss of their population has left a gap in understanding their role on shallow reefs. Dr. Roger Grace called for reducing their Total Allowable Catch to zero to help protect this iconic species.