There is a small beautiful fish native to New Zealand waterways. They are scaleless and their spotted skin shines as though studded with galaxies of stars. Hence the name galaxiids. It was not originally known that these amazing fish were present in New Zealand’s waterways as they are very secretive, with most being nocturnal. In fact we have 24 species of galaxiids living in our waterways.

There is no doubt these fish are fascinating but unfortunately they are becoming increasingly threatened. What many people don’t know are the young of many of galaxiid species are whitebait. While people in New Zealand may not be familiar with the term galaxiid, they most likely will know what whitebait is. Whitebait fritters are a traditional cuisine of New Zealand, making whitebaiting season is very popular in the country. Whitebaiting season in when whitebait return from the sea and climb up the rivers, to where they will mature and spend their adulthood. These galaxiids lay their eggs on stream banks in the grasses, where they will stay until the river levels rise later in the year when they will then hatch and be washed out to sea where they will spend around 5-6 months developing from larvae into juveniles.

However whitebaiting is only one of many threats to galaxiids. The invasion of trout into New Zealand streams may be a good indication of clean water quality, but they eat galaxiids. Habitat loss, through farming and forestry practices are another big contributor to the decline in galaxiid numbers.

So think twice next time you go whitebaiting or eat a whitebait fritter and ask yourself do you really want to be a contributor to the extinction of our amazing native fish?

Want to know more?

Here are some useful links:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/freshwater-fish/page-3

http://www.terranature.org/fishNativeGalaxias.htm

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/fish/

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