Banded kokopu

"For a general article about all 3 kokopu." Taxobox
name = Banded kokopu
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Osmeriformes
familia = Galaxiidae
subfamilia = Galaxiinae
genus = "Galaxias"
species = "G. fasciatus"
binomial = "Galaxias fasciatus"
binomial_authority = Gray, 1842

The banded kokopu, "Galaxias fasciatus", is a galaxiid of the genus "Galaxias", found only in New Zealand, including the Chatham and Stewart Islands. It grows to a length of up to 25 cm.

Banded kokopu have thin, pale, vertical bands along the sides and over the back of the fish. The single dorsal and anal fins are large, rounded, and set back close to the square caudal fin. Like all galaxiids it lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus.

Banded kokopu are one of the five species of the Galaxiidae family that occur in the whitebait runs that enter New Zealand rivers each spring. Banded kokopu are generally the smallest of the five species when they are whitebait and have an overall golden colour. Able to climb steep waterfalls where the rock face remains wet, juveniles are very good climbers and can often escape from buckets by clinging to and wriggling up the sides.

Adult banded kokopu usually live in very small tributaries where there is an over-stream vegetation canopy. This vegetation does not have to be native forest, however, and banded kokopu happily live in urban streams and exotic pine plantations so long as overhead shelter is present [Martinez-Capel, F.; McCullough, C. & Hicks, B. J. (2004). On a regional model for nocturnal habitat requirements of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) in the North Island, New Zealand. Fifth International Symposium on Ecohydraulics. Aquatic Habitats Analysis & Restoration. International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR), 109-116. ISBN:90-805649-7-4.] .

Banded kokopu mainly feed on invertebrates that either live in the stream bed or fall into the water, and will move into the open at night for feeding. At this time they may easily and unobtrusively be observed under red light [McCullough, C. D. & Hicks, B. J. (2002). Estimating the abundance of banded kokopu ("Galaxias fasciatus" Gray) in small streams by nocturnal counts under spotlight illumination. "New Zealand Natural Sciences" 27: 1-14p.]

Banded kokopu do not penetrate very far inland and are primarily a coastal species.

References

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* [http://www.niwascience.co.nz/rc/freshwater/fishatlas/species/banded_kokopu NIWA June 2006]