Kokopu facts for kids
Kokopu (which means kōkopu in the Māori language) is a common name for three types of fish from the Galaxias family. These fish live only in the rivers, lakes, and swamps of New Zealand. This means they are endemic to New Zealand, found nowhere else in the world.
Kokopu are part of a group called galaxiids. Like other fish in this family, they don't have scales. Instead, they have thick, leathery skin covered in a slimy layer called mucus. Kokopu usually live in streams with lots of hiding places, like logs and big rocks. You can also find them in swamps and larger waterways. They mostly eat small creatures without backbones, called invertebrates, that live on the stream bed. They also eat insects that fall into the water. At night, they might swim into open areas to find food.
About Kokopu
Types of Kokopu
There are three types of Kokopu found in New Zealand:
- Giant kōkopu, known scientifically as Galaxias argenteus
- Banded kokopu, known scientifically as Galaxias fasciatus
- Shortjaw kokopu, known scientifically as Galaxias postvectis
Life Cycle
Kokopu usually live for 5 to 10 years. Some can even live for more than 21 years! They lay their eggs in leaf piles on stream beds. They might also lay eggs during very high tides, called spring tides. The eggs hatch about 30 days after they are laid.
The tiny baby fish, called hatchlings, are carried downstream. They spend a short time in the sea. After about four to five months, they swim back to the streams. Young kokopu, known as sprats, are popular with fishers. They are caught as whitebait using fine nets and are eaten as a special treat.
Where They Live
Kokopu need healthy natural places to live, especially forests. Because much of New Zealand's native forests and swamps have been cleared for farms since the late 1800s, kokopu have become less common.
However, people now understand how important biodiversity (all the different kinds of life) is. Protecting natural areas in National Parks and other conservation areas helps keep these fish safe. This promises to help the kokopu species survive.
Threats to Kokopu
Kokopu face a challenge from trout. Trout were brought to New Zealand for sport fishing in the first half of the 1900s. Different groups, called acclimatisation societies, introduced them.
Studies show that where trout live, you are unlikely to find kokopu. Trout are usually bigger than kokopu. But in stream and swamp areas that are still forested and cannot support trout, you are more likely to find kokopu.
