New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Distribution of fish in tributaries of the lower Taieri/Waipori Rivers, South Island, New Zealand

Bruno. O. David
Gerard. P. Closs
Chris. J. Arbuckle

Department of Zoology
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
email: bruno.david@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
email: gerry.closs@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
email: chris.arbuckle@stonebow.otago.ac.nz

Abstract   The distribution of fish within eight small streams feeding into the lower Taieri and Waipori Rivers on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island was examined. A total of eight native and two introduced species were recorded. Eels (Anguilla spp.) and giant kokopu (Galaxias argenteus Gmelin) were the most widely distributed species being located in all streams surveyed. Common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall) and brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus) were also widely distributed being detected in seven and six of the streams respectively. Three streams of potential conservation significance were identified. These were Picnic Gully Creek which contained a significant population of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus Gray), a Category C threatened species, and Cullens and Alex Creeks which contained significant populations of giant kokopu, a Category B threatened species. The population of giant kokopu in Cullens and Alex Creeks currently represents the largest known population of this species on the east coast of New Zealand (excluding Southland). It has been suggested that brown trout may influence the distribution of native galaxiids. The longitudinal distribution of giant kokopu and brown trout in streams was examined at night using a continuous spotlight sampling approach. Distributions of these two species rarely overlapped at a local scale. Coarse habitat use data indicated that brown trout regularly occupied a variety of habitat types including modified agricultural channels. In contrast, giant kokopu rarely used agricultural channels being predominantly located in pool habitats.

Keywords   longitudinal distribution; fish; spotlight sampling; streams; giant kokopu; brown trout

M02005 Received 22 January 2002; accepted 23 May 2002; published 14 November
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2002, Vol. 36: 797-808
0028-8330/02/3604-0797 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

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