By Cornelia Vervoon, Partnerships Ranger, Franz Josef

Rangers Mirella Pomeroy and Myles Riki were out in Saltwater Forest on the West Coast last week completing the local annual mudfish (Neochanna apoda) survey.

Ranger Myles setting one of the mudfish traps

They set 30 traps and caught 32 mudfish, half a dozen koura/crayfish and some kokopu – a great result!

A mexican standoff between a mudfish and a koura

Mudfish are under increasing threat from habitat loss, so to find them thriving in Saltwater Forest is a really positive sign.

Two mudfish in one go

Mirella found out what the bigger ones have been eating:

“We caught this one mudfish, which we thought was pregnant because it had a really big belly. Then we picked it up for a closer look… and it regurgitated (“blleeerrrgh”) a juvenile kokopu into Myles’s hand.” 

A mudfish up close

You can find more information about mudfish and New Zealand’s other freshwater fish species on the DOC website.

Perfect mudfish habitat – Saltwater Forest, South Westland