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A beautiful autumn Hokitika sunset featuring Val

#hokitika #new zealand #curley coated retrevier x labrador #dog #beach #ocean

2023_11_15

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#2584 - Galaxias argenteus - Giant Kōkopu

Unfortunately this individual seems to quite ill - their fins are ragged and they're not showing off the pale spots that earned the Galaxiid family and genus their name.

They're SUPPOSED to look like this -

Photo by StellaMcQ on Wiki.

The Giant Kōkopu is the largest Galaxiid fish in the world, with some individuals reaching almost 60cm in length. They're omnivores that occupy the same niche trout do (but see below) and one common name was indeed "Māori trout".

Eggs are laid on land in riverside vegetation, and hatch in response to seasonal flooding. The larvae are swept out to sea, and eventually return to the rivers where the fry of this and the other four Aotearoan Galaxias that do the same are caught as whitebait. Despite the fact that four of the species are endangered by habitat loss, and predation by and competition with the introduced Brown and Rainbow Trout. New Zealand whitebait is the most expensive food fish in the world, by weight.

There are twenty three species of Galaxias in Aotearoa where they are the dominant freshwaer fish family, including the delightfully named Gollum Galaxias (Galaxias gollumoides - pale, large eyes and canines, would presumably be played Andy Serkus if they ever did a movie about them) and the Climbing Galaxias or kōaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) which scales waterfalls.

Hokitika National Kiwi Centre, Aotearoa New Zealand.