The mudfish (kōwaro) is only located in a limited number of waterways between the Ashley River and Waitaki River, Doc said in a statement.
The kōwaro found on private farmland in Glentunnel, east of Mt Hutt, weighed a ‘‘whopping’’ 21g, which Doc said was not large in the fish world but ‘‘huge’’ for a mudfish.
Ranger Allanah Purdie was ‘‘stunned’’ by the find while out on recent month-long site surveys — something she does every two years to get an idea of how the fish is faring.
In one spot 29 mudfish were caught, with a good variety of sizes.
‘‘This shows they are surviving and breeding each year, which is fantastic news for the species.’’
Canterbury mudfish are the most threatened of New Zealand’s mudfish species and New Zealand’s second rarest native fish after Waitaki longjaws, also known as lowland longjaw galaxias.
‘‘These mudfish have incredible survival adaptations. They only remain in a limited number of waterways and although they hover on the brink of extinction, they’re still here.’’
The mudfish’s ‘‘unique’’ ability to survive out of water helps it withstand droughts but they faced extinction about 10 years ago following consecutive droughts and the dewatering of some key waterways.
‘‘Farmers and other agencies have worked hard to help the mudfish recover. The local farmers are key, as many have streams and ponds on their properties. Their naturing and nurturing work to maintain healthy habitats for the fish is a game-changer, and their ability to keep mudfish on their farms shows they’re being good custodians of the land they work on.
‘‘On one farm we saw really good numbers and on the other farm we got two massive ones. If we can get these sizes and numbers consistently, I’ll be less worried about the future of Canterbury mudfish.’’
