3. Northeastern New Zealand
Map ID Number: 3
Location: North Cape to Poverty Bay
Approximate area: 37,240km2
Description of area:
This northeastern quadrant of the North Island has many offshore islands and rock stacks. The warm East Auckland Current flows through the region. There is a high diversity of habitat types, from estuaries and sandy beaches to steep rocky cliffs, archways, caves, and islands.
Biological attributes:
The highest regional species richness for reef fi shes is found in this area, especially around offshore islands and coastal headlands. A high proportion of the fishes found here are subtropical species. In the spring and summer there is an immigration of larvae and juveniles of subtropical and tropical species from areas outside New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Oceanic migratory species such as whale shark (Rhincodon typus), manta rays (Manta birostris, Mobula japanica), marlins, tunas, mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), and blue shark (Prionace glauca) are common in the area from mid to late summer.
Criteria applied:
Species richness; trophic/functional diversity; representation (i.e. across physical types); degree of disturbance; seasonal/ migratory importance; unusual degree/proportion of biomass; aggregations; habitat complexity/diversity; meeting ground – overlap between biological regions (at national and global regions level); links to global patterns.
Status and management:
Inshore waters are among the most heavily fi shed in New Zealand. The region supports several marine reserves and other protected areas. The presence of major ports and associated shipping routes in the region are contributing factors in alien species invasions.
State of information:
Probably the best-studied inshore fish fauna in New Zealand.
References and further reading:
Brook (2002), Francis (1996, 2001), Francis and Evans (1993), Francis et al. (1999), Kendrick and Francis (2002), Willis et al. (1999).