New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Short communication Invasion of the Asian goby, Acentrogobius pflaumii, into New Zealand, with new locality records of the introduced bridled goby, Arenigobius bifrenatus

Malcolm P. Francis

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
 Research Limited
P.O. Box 14 901
Wellington, New Zealand
email: m.francis@niwa.co.nz

Cameron Walsh
Mark A. Morrison
Crispin Middleton

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
 Research Limited
P.O. Box 109 695
Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract   The Asian goby, Acentrogobius pflaumii (Bleeker, 1853), is reported from New Zealand waters for the first time. It was collected by beach seine in 2001-02 from muddy substrata in the upper reaches of the Waitemata and Whangapoua Harbours. We suggest that A. pflaumii has been introduced to New Zealand, probably in ship ballast water. It may have arrived directly from its native range in the north-west Pacific Ocean, or indirectly via Australia, which it invaded before 1996. The Australian bridled goby, Arenigobius bifrenatus (Kner, 1865), which is also thought to have invaded New Zealand via ballast water, is here recorded from three new locations, extending its known New Zealand range to five different harbours spanning c. 150 km of coastline. This species is more widespread than previously thought and appears well established. Both gobies have been found only on the east coast of the North Island.

Keywords   Acentrogobius pflaumii; Arenigobius bifrenatus; goby; invasion; ballast water; biosecurity

M02061 Received 3 August 2002; accepted 10 October 2002; Published 20 March 2003
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2003, Vol. 37: 105-112
0028-8330/03/3701-0105 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003

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