Northland Mudfish

The Northland (or burgundy) mudfish is a rare treasure found only within a 25 km radius of Lake Omapere. These 13 cm, cigar-shaped fish are famous for their "aestivation" superpower: if their wetland home dries up, they simply bury themselves in damp mud or logs and breathe through their skin until the water returns! Sadly, they face big challenges from farming, weeds, and the aggressive introduced mosquitofish. Because they rely so heavily on healthy wetlands, these nocturnal survivors are a key indicator of our environment’s health. We need to protect their muddy homes to keep the burgundy beauty around!