Kokopu ( mi, kōkopu) is a common name used for three species of fish of the genus ''

Galaxias ''Galaxias'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Galaxiidae, and are frequently referred to as the galaxiids. These highly adaptable fish are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere. Galaxiids are ...

''. They are found in the rivers, lakes and swamps of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, to which they are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

. Kokopu are

galaxiid The Galaxiidae are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority live in Southern Australia or New Zealand, but some are found in South Africa, southern South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, and the ...

s and like others members of that family lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with

mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is ...

. Kokopu inhabit streams with plenty of cover (e.g. logs and overhanging boulders) but can also be found in swamps and larger waterways. They mostly feed on

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

that live in the stream beds but also eat insects that fall into the water and will move into the open at night for feeding. There are three known species of Kokopu in New Zealand: * Giant kōkopu, ''

Galaxias argenteus ''Galaxias'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family (biology), family Galaxiidae, and are frequently referred to as the galaxiids. These highly adaptable fish are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere. ...

'' * Banded kōkopu, ''

Galaxias fasciatus ''Galaxias'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Galaxiidae, and are frequently referred to as the galaxiids. These highly adaptable fish are typically found at temperate latitudes across the Southern Hemisphere. Galaxiids are s ...

'' * Shortjaw kōkopu, '' Galaxias postvectis'' Kokopu live for between 5 and 10 years but can reach in excess of 21 years. They

spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...

in leaf debris in stream beds or during

spring tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ca ...

s and the eggs hatch about 30 days after being laid. The hatchlings are carried downstream where they spend a short period of time in the sea and return to streams after four to five months. Kokopu sprats are keenly sought by fishers as

whitebait Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine- ...

for consumption as a delicacy and are caught in fine meshed nets. Kokopu depend on the natural environment, principally in forested environments, and so have become less common as New Zealand has been cleared of much of its native forest and swampland as a result of colonisation and farming development since the late 19th century. Nevertheless, recognition of the value of

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

and the preservation of natural areas in

National Park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

s and reserved conservation areas promises to maintain the species. Kokopu suffer from the introduction of trout species that were introduced into New Zealand for sport fishing purposes during the first half of the 20th century by various acclimatisation societies. Research has indicated that where trout have become established then kokopu are unlikely to be found. Nevertheless, since the kokopu, on average, is smaller in size than trout then where stream and swamp environments cannot support trout and are still in forested areas, kokopu are likely to be found.

References

Galaxias Endemic freshwater fish of New Zealand Fish common names {{Osmeriformes-stub