This single-volume guide describes over 400 of the more common marine fishes caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing methods in New Zealand seas. The guide is intended for field use particularly by fisheries observers and researchers who may or may not have specialist knowledge about the taxonomy of fishes. Accurate and rapid identification of catches at sea is important for obtaining good quality data about fish catches, for monitoring changes in fish abundance and enabling fisheries managers to make informed decisions about fishstock sustainability.

This guide was produced in 2024 and is a modified republication of the single-volume guide published in 2019 which replaced the three-volume set of guides published in 2011. A second version for fishers is identical except it does not include the research codes.

This single-volume guide describes over 400 of the more common marine fishes caught by bottom, midwater, and surface fishing methods in New Zealand seas. This “Fisher version” is intended for field use by fishers who may or may not have specialist knowledge about the taxonomy of fishes. The guide has been produced to support inshore fishers with their electronic reporting requirements.

This guide was produced in 2024 and is a modified republication of the single-volume guide published in 2019. The 2019 version itself had replaced the three-volume set of guides published in 2011 (McMillan et al. 2011a-c).

A second version was produced in 2024 for scientific users and is identical except it includes codes specifically for research use.

Applies to operators who fillet fish on board fishing vessels and sell the filleted fish on the New Zealand Market.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) administers the Animal Products Act 1999
and its associated legislation.
The Animal Products Act 1999 has the objective of managing and minimising the risks to
human and animal health from the production and processing of animal material and
products, and of facilitating overseas market access.