Red moki
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| Goniistius spectabilis Hutton, 1872 |
The New Zealand red moki or Australian banded morwong, Goniistius spectabilis, is a morwong of the genus Goniistius, found off southern Australia and the North Island of New Zealand from shallow depths to 50 m, on rocky reef and coastal areas. Its length is between 40 and 60 cm.
The red moki is a large fish with the general shape of a snapper but with a more pointed head. It has 8 red-brown vertical stripes on the body and fins against a background of purple-brown. Its thick rubbery lips enables it to suck up sediment containing small invertebrates, which is its method of feeding.
As they grow red mokis tend to move into deeper water and spend more and more time holed up in caves and crevices. They are long lived creatures and specimens have been dated to 60 years from their otoliths.
They are virtually never caught by anglers, but divers are very familiar with the red moki particularly towards the north of its range.
[edit] References
- "Goniistius spectabilis". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
