New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Diadromy and longitudinal patterns of upstream penetration of freshwater fish in Taranaki, New Zealand

MICHAEL K. JOY
IAN M. HENDERSON
RUSSELL G. DEATH

Institute of Natural Resources--Ecology
College of Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: mikejoy@clear.net.nz

Abstract  Diadromous fish species dominate the New Zealand freshwater fish fauna and make up 15 of the 17 native fish species found on the Taranaki Ring Plain. Trajectories of occurrence in relation to elevation and distance from the sea are described for 11 diadromous and 2 non-diadromous species using data from the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database and data collected over the summer of 1997/98. Distinctive distributions were found for most of the species related to their differing migratory strategies and abilities. The species were ranked based on components of these trajectories to compare their penetrative ability. Comparison of the ranking methods used revealed they produced similar results. The ranking of the 11 diadromous species in Taranaki relative to each other revealed similar rankings to those for the same species from the West Coast of the South Island. The non-migratory native fish, Cran's bully (Gobiomorphus basalis), was not found on the western side of the mountain. This distribution is thought to be the result of the local extinction of non-migratory species in high gradient or unstable streams.

Keywords  diadromy; freshwater fishes; Taranaki; distribution; trajectories of occurrence

M99048
Received 16 August 1999; accepted 6 January 2000

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (814K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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