Notoclinops segmentatus Blue Eyed Triplefin is found around the coastline in rock pools and to depths of about 3 metres. Peaceful little fish that can be intimidated easily by other more aggressive triplefins. Can be difficult to get to eat frozen foods so need a good supply of live food, to get started. Need a well matured tank

Chironemus marmoratus Easy to keep in a mature system Lovely patterned native fish, small beak like mouth. Brown and white patterns. Grows to 25-30cm. Found around coastal reefs and rocky coast, lives amongst kelp type weed. Once grown will need 400 litres preferably larger with at least 6 months maturity. A easy to care for fish, eats just about anything

Obliquichthys maryannae Easy to keep in a mature system if you can supply live foods. It grows to 8 cm. planton feeders taking their tiny copepod and euphausid crustacean food in mid-water. They can take a lot of acclimatising to frozen foods. Found along the NE coast of the Nth Island from depths of about 5 m to 50 m. Usually found inhabiting sheltered c

Hippocampus abdominalis Easy to keep in a mature system, hard to acclimatise onto frozen foods The N.Z. native seahorse is one of the largest seahorses, growing up to 35 cm in length. They feed on crustaceans, amphipods and shrimp, in the aquarium they can be fed on live Shrimp, mosquito wrigglers, daphnia, guppy fry and whiteworms (very fatty) also frozen foods such as mysid and brineshrimp A seahorse tank must have gentle to moderate currents for them as they are not strong swimmers

Stigmatophora macropterygia Easy to keep in a mature system, hard to acclimatise onto frozen foods. Grows to 22cm. related to the N.Z. native seahorse. Usually found inhabiting harbours and sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky areas in fairly shallow water, can be found in deeper waters as well. They are more active at dusk and night than in the daytime spending most of the day anchored by their tail to rocks or weed. Diet is same as seahorse and they make good tank mates

Stigmatophora nigra Same as seahorse. Easy to keep in a mature system, hard to acclimatise onto frozen foods Usually found inhabiting harbours and sheltered coastlines amongst seaweeds around rocky areas in fairly shallow water, can be found in deeper waters as well. They are more active at dusk and night than in the daytime spending most of the day anchored by their tail to rocks or weed.

Parablennius laticlavius Crested Blennies are endearing little fish that lurk in rock work and graze algae from it surface. They are comparatively hardy and do not require a large tank, but do require clean water. Can grow up to 8 cms.

Chelidonichthys kumu Found around N.Z. coast Usually on soft bottoms in offshore waters around New Zealand, up to 200 m. A predatory fish, Body slender; head large, bony; Reddish to greyish brown above, pale below; fan-like pectoral fins green with blue spots, grows to 50 cm. Need a good area of open sand in tank to do well. will eat most meaty foods.

Blue Cod Parapercis colias Easy so long as water quality is good. Young fish are blotched in varying shades of brown. Adults are usually blue green to blue black above with white on the belly. Can grow up to 60cm, 3kgs Usually found offshore around N.Z. over reefs and sandy bottoms to 50m. Minimun Tank Size: 1000 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet: It feeds mainly on small fish and crustaceans so will take any meaty foods.

Scorpis violacea, Difficulty: easy to keep and recommended in a large enough tank. Description: Bright blue as an adult, but silver with yellow spots and fins as a youngster grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Habitat: Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Temperament:A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Minimun Tank Size: 100 litres preferably larger. Tank Age / Maturity: At least 6 months Diet:Eats all meaty foods

Parma alboscapularis New Zealands true angel, starts life vibrantly coloured like tropical Parma species, and slowly changes to jet blac with a white ear patch. Timid when small, aggressive when larger especially with same species. Only 1 per tank. Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes Mature tank 400 litres or larger.

(Scorpis lineolatus) Similar to Blue Maomao but gray as an adult, silver with red spots on the belly as a youngster, grows up to 35cm, but commonly around 25cm. Found inshore, near rocky reefs to 100m. Fry caught early summer around weedy rocks and wharves Eats everything really, especially mysid and minced tuatua, but happy on flakes A tleast 100 litres.

Suezichthys aylingi Difficult needs mature aquariums and live food, can be hard to acclimatise. The juveniles have a red-orange body with a white-edged black spot at the base of the dorsal fin. Adults are a deep crimson and a white stripe running from the head to the tail, Grows to 12 cm. Found around North Eastern New Zealand, usually over reef areas from 6 - 100 m.

Pseudolabrus miles Older males have bright red body, yellow flanks and belly ,a prominent white patch behind the head and black bar on tail. Grows to between 20 and 40 cms. Scarlet wrasses feed on a variety of invertebrates, hermit and other crabs, molluscs, and echinoderms Will eat anything you feed it. Can be agressive in tank with smaller fish.

Pseudolabrus fucicola Found off the east coast of Northland in New Zealand, in weedy reef areas at depths of between 10 and 30 m. Temperament: A peaceful fish in a mixed tank. Can be aggressive towards its own species as they grow.

Notolabrus celidotus I have found Spotties tolerate poor water conditions and are easy to keep. They will eat almost anything offered and outcompete slower fish, they can be impossible to catch out of your tank without removing all the rockwork. A good starter fish but can rapidly become annoying, young fish up to 3cm can be netted amongst seaweed in shallow water from October onwards they ca

(Arenigobius bifrenatus) Easy - Suitable for beginners who have done their research. They are comparatively hardy and do not require a large tank, but do require clean water. Can grow up to 8 cms The Bridled goby is a burrowing coastal and estuarine goby from temperate areas of Australia. One was captured from the Whangateau Harbour, northeastern New Zealand, on 1 April 1998. Readily accept all foods both live and frozen Pods, mysid, raw mussel, prawn and flake foods, will also graze algae.

Forsterygion varium Up to 12cm, they are a mottled reddy brown with with 7 darker saddles on back, breeding males have a bright blue tip on fins. Found around N.Z. to 30 metres. Will eat most foods, can be aggressive towards other triplefins and same species.