List of freshwater fish of New Zealand

This is a list of all species of fish that are or were known to occur in freshwater habitats of New Zealand. The list includes 63 species as of June 2025. It is based on those currently listed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.Dunn NR, Allibone RM, Closs GP, Crow SK, David BO, Goodman JM, Griffiths M, Jack DC, Ling N, Waters JM, Rolfe JR. 2017. Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fishes. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 24. Wellington: Department of Conservation.

Native FamilySpeciesCommon nameNZTCSNotesImageAnguillidaeAnguilla dieffenbachiiNew Zealand longfin eelDecliningCatadromous (spawns at sea)Anguilla australisShort-finned eelNot ThreatenedAlso found in Australia and elsewhere in the southwest Pacific. Catadromous (spawns at sea)CheimarrichthyidaeCheimarrichthys fosteriTorrentfish/panokoDecliningAmphidromous (visit the sea in youth but return)EleotridaeGobiomorphus hubbsiBluegill bullyDecliningGobiomorphus alpinusTarndale bullyNaturally UncommonGobiomorphus gobioidesGiant bully/tītarakura/tīpokopokoNaturally UncommonGobiomorphus basalisCran's bullyNot ThreatenedGobiomorphus brevicepsUpland bullyNot ThreatenedGobiomorphus cotidianusCommon bully/ToitoiNot ThreatenedGobiomorphus huttoniRedfin bullyNot ThreatenedGalaxiidaeGalaxias cobitinisLowland longjaw galaxiasNationally CriticalNeochanna burrowsiusCanterbury MudfishNationally CriticalGalaxias anomalusRoundhead galaxiasNationally EndangeredGalaxias eldoniEldon's galaxiasNationally EndangeredGalaxias pullusDusky galaxiasNationally EndangeredGalaxias depressicepsFlathead galaxiasNationally VulnerableGalaxias gollumoidesGollum galaxiasNationally VulnerableGalaxias macronasusBignose galaxiasNationally VulnerableGalaxias postvectisShortjaw kōkopuNationally VulnerableGalaxias prognathusLongjawed galaxiasNationally VulnerableNeochanna heleiosNorthland mudfishNationally VulnerableGalaxias argenteusGiant kōkopuDecliningGalaxias brevipinnisClimbing galaxias/kōaroDecliningGalaxias divergensDwarf galaxiasDecliningGalaxias maculatusCommon galaxias/inangaDecliningGalaxias vulgarisCommon river galaxias/Canterbury galaxiasDecliningNeochanna apodaBrown mudfishDecliningNeochanna diversusBlack mudfishDecliningGalaxias paucispondylusAlpine galaxiasNaturally UncommonNeochanna rekohuaChatham mudfishNaturally UncommonGalaxias fasciatusBanded kōkopuNot ThreatenedGeotriidaeGeotria australisPouched lampreyNationally VulnerableMugilidaeAldrichetta forsteriYellow-eye mulletNot ThreatenedCommon in river estuaries and can travel several kilometers upstream.Mugil cephalusFlathead grey mulletNot ThreatenedMarine species but can travel significant distances upstream.RetropinnidaePrototroctes oxyrhynchusNew Zealand GraylingExtinctLast sighted in 1929 and was formally declared extinct in 2018.Dunn, Nicholas R.; Allibone, Richard M.; Closs, Gerard P.; Crow, Shannan K.; David, Bruno O.; Goodman, Jane M.; Griffiths, Marc; Jack, Daniel C.; Ling, Nicholas. "Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fishes, 2017". New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 24. Jonathan M. Waters and Jeremy R. Rolfe. Department of Conservation: 8.Stokellia anisodonStokell's smeltNaturally UncommonRetropinna retropinnaNew Zealand smeltNot ThreatenedRhombosoleidaeRhombosolea retiariaBlack flounder/MohoaoNot ThreatenedTripterygiidaeForsterygion nigripenneEstuarine triplefinNot ThreatenedPrimarily known from estuaries but can sometimes be found in lower reaches of streams and rivers

Non-native FamilySpeciesCommon nameNZTCSNotesImageAnguillidaeAnguilla reinhardtiiSpeckled longfin eel/Australian long-finned eelColoniserFirst confirmed in 1997 to have established in New Zealand. Catadromous (spawns at sea)CyprinidaeCarassius auratusGoldfishIntroduced and NaturalisedCyprinus carpioCommon carpIntroduced and NaturalisedGobiidaeGobiopterus semivestitusGlassgobyColoniserFirst detected in 2008.Parioglossus marginalisBlackmargin dartfishColoniserNeeds saltwater to survive, but tolerates excursions into freshwater streams.Acentrogobius pflaumiiStriped SandgobyIntroduced and NaturalisedCan occur in brackish estuariesArenigobius bifrenatusBridled gobyIntroduced and NaturalisedOccurs in estuariesIctaluridaeAmeiurus nebulosusBrown bullheadIntroduced and NaturalisedLeuciscidaeLeuciscus idusOrfeIntroduced and NaturalisedScardinius erythrophthalmusCommon ruddIntroduced and NaturalisedPercidaePerca fluviatilisEuropean perchIntroduced and NaturalisedPoeciliidaeGambusia affinisMosquitofishIntroduced and NaturalisedPhalloceros caudimaculatusDusky millions fishIntroduced and NaturalisedPoecilia latipinnaSailfin mollyIntroduced and NaturalisedPoecilia reticulataGuppyIntroduced and NaturalisedXiphophorus helleriiGreen swordtailIntroduced and NaturalisedOnly known from Waipahihi Stream near Taupō. Possibly extinct from New Zealand.SalmonidaeOncorhynchus mykissRainbow troutIntroduced and NaturalisedOncorhynchus nerkaSockeye salmonIntroduced and NaturalisedOncorhynchus tshawytschaChinook salmonIntroduced and NaturalisedSalmo salarAtlantic salmonIntroduced and NaturalisedSalmo truttaBrown troutIntroduced and NaturalisedSalvelinus fontinalisBrook troutIntroduced and NaturalisedSalvelinus namaycushLake troutIntroduced and NaturalisedTincidaeTinca tincaTenchIntroduced and Naturalised

References