The marine leech fauna of New Zealand is poorly known and based primarily on studies by Richardson in the 1950s. Three new species have recently been discovered. Dollfusobdella kaikourae n. gen., n. sp. is described from Kaikoura, New Zealand parasitising pectoral fins of Scorpaena cardinalis , and thornfish, Bovichtus variegatus . It is characterised by a cylindrical body widest at the posterior portion of the urosome and tap...

Observations of tidal flows in Te Aumiti (French Pass), the fastest such flows in New Zealand, were conducted in 2006 using a vessel‐mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), pressure sensors, a current meter mooring, drifters, and microwave radar. The suite of measurements revealed spring tide currents exceeding 4 m s ‐1 , but only in the throat of the pass. The pressure sensors either side of the pass indicated a pha...

In this study, we investigated seasonal variations in the concentrations of estradiol‐17β (E 2 ) and testosterone (T) in the gonad of the cockle Fulvia mutica from March 2004 to February 2005 in relation to the reproductive cycle. Histological data showed that F. mutica is a hermaphrodite bivalve species, and gametogenesis took place during winter‐spring (November‐April) and spawning occurred in summer (May‐June) when water te...

Three colonies of the erect, robust branching, cheilostome bryozoan Adeonellopsis sp. were collected from Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, to investigate within‐colony variation in carbonate mineralogy. One‐hundred‐and‐twenty‐one sections from 9 branches were found to contain mostly aragonite, with calcite ranging from 1.1 to 7.3 wt% (mean ± SD = 2.4 ± 1.2 wt%, n = 120). The magnesium (Mg) content in calcite ranged from 5.3 to 13....

A total of 163 wells were sampled in New Zealand as part of the 2006 national survey of pesticides in groundwater. The aims of the survey were to update the national overview of pesticides in New Zealand's groundwater systems, to investigate temporal variation in pesticide concentrations between surveys, and to identify environmental factors associated with pesticide contamination of groundwater. Thirty‐one wells (19%) tested...

Integrating multiple metrics derived from stream macroinvertebrate communities into single scores that reflect ecological condition can bridge the needs of multiple groups using biomonitoring data. Macroinvertebrate metrics from 511 Waikato, New Zealand, stream samples were standardised by their maximum observed value. Metric redundancy and optimisation processes identified three standardised metrics from an initial set of 17...

The bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) of Dusky Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand are a little‐studied group at the southern limit of the species range. Conducting a photo‐identification census and capture‐recapture analyses, we estimated there were 102 (CV = 0.9%) bottlenose dolphins in Dusky Sound during summer 2007/08, the first abundance estimate for this population. We did not encounter individuals from Doubtful Sound...

Campbell Plateau is an important fishing ground for the main commercial New Zealand species. Yet, studies on trophic interactions between species and their nutritional values are limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the proximate composition and energy contents of selected commercial and non‐commercial marine species from Campbell Plateau and their fatty acid (FA) composition, and to evaluate the degree to w...

Analysis of photographs of individual bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) taken in Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand between 2000 and 2003 resulted in 162 uniquely identifiable individuals being included in the Hauraki Gulf bottlenose dolphin photo‐identification catalogue. Seventy percent of these catalogued animals were sighted more than once, with sighting frequency ranging from one to eleven encounters. Seasonality was apparen...

Yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi (Family Carangidae), sustain important commercial and recreational fisheries in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. However, little is known about their population structure, particularly whether the kingfish around Lord Howe Island (LHI) comprise a distinct stock, separate from that of the NSW stock. We examined the otolith chemistry from juvenile kingfish collected from LHI, several NSW sit...

We present a case study illustrating an integrated approach to lake water quality assessment, for Lake Hayes, Otago, New Zealand. This approach improved understanding of the biological importance of several macro‐ and micronutrients and their major pathways (including groundwater), and, coupled with trophic state monitoring, could be the basis for more effective management of lakes exhibiting algal blooms. A nutrient enrichmen...

Bostrychia is a widespread genus and has recently received considerable molecular attention, leading to insights into its evolution, and nomenclatural changes. We investigated the species of Bostrychia in New Zealand, to produce an identification key and highlight the nomenclatural changes of these species. We incorporated into a molecular phylogeny two species prominent in New Zealand ( B. gracilis, B. vaga ) that have not be...

The small, transparent gobioid Gobiopterus semivestitus is recorded for the first time from New Zealand, from a tributary of Ngunguru River, near Whangarei, Northland. Distinctive features of its sexual dimorphism are reported, in particular enlarged fins and greatly enlarged jaw dentition in the male. The origins of this species in New Zealand waters are uncertain: it could have been here for some time, unobserved; it could h...

Two new marine nematode species are described from intertidal sediments in southern New Zealand. Setosabatieria australis sp. nov. is characterised by an amphideal fovea with 3.5 turns, 7–9 small pre‐cloacal supplements, and 2–5 sub‐cephalic setae per file. Setosabatieria australis sp. nov. differs from all known species of the genus in having L‐shaped spicules with a hollow median region, in contrast to the typical curved sha...

Aspects of the biology and diet of Coryphaenoides subserrulatus and Etmopterus baxteri from hill features in the Puysegur region, southern New Zealand are described. More female C. subserrulatus than males were retained, and females were significantly larger than males. Coryphaenoides subserrulatus fed primarily on Calanoida, the overall weight and number of which increased with fish size. Females consumed significantly heavie...

Vessel collisions are considered an important source of mortality for some cetacean species, and this is likely for the New Zealand Bryde's whale ( Balaenoptera brydei ), a species currently classified as “nationally critical”. Nevertheless, the occurrence and frequency of vessel strikes involving whales in New Zealand waters is yet to be systematically evaluated. Herein, we document the use of radiography as a diagnostic tool...

Molluscan grazers were experimentally excluded for 24 months (December 2003 ‐ December 2005) from the mid‐intertidal zone of the rocky shore at two sites at each of two locations in New Zealand where intertidal communities differ dramatically: Wellington Harbour (dominated by sessile invertebrates), and the Cook Strait (= south) coast (mostly bare rock). Excluding grazers resulted in immediate increases in foliose algae, and g...

A culture collection of freshwater planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria collected from sites across New Zealand has been established at the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand. Limited resources led to uncertainty regarding the long‐term maintenance of this collection. The present study demonstrates cryopreservation to be a viable method for long‐term storage of cyanobacteria. Seventeen of 20 strains evaluated were success...

Methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations were determined in brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) from the Arahura River, on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Trout fell into two groups, one with very low MeHg concentrations (0.002–0.018 μg g ‐1 ) and the other with relatively higher MeHg concentrations (0.096–0.220 μ g g ‐1 ). Trout elevated in MeHg had a terrestrial carbon signature and fed at a higher trophic level than t...

Introduced species are often thought to do well because of an escape from natural enemies. However, once established, they can acquire a modest assemblage of enemies, including parasites, in their new range. Here we quantified prevalence and effects of infection with copepods (family Myicolidae) and pea crabs ( Pinnotheres novaezelandiae ), in three mussel species, the non‐native Musculista senhousia , and two native mussels,...

Cross‐correlations between along‐shelf wind stress and both along‐ and cross‐shelf currents within the central Bay of Plenty, New Zealand show the circulation during spring‐summer to be highly responsive to wind events. Current meter records indicate that upwelling‐favourable wind stresses generate upwelling dynamics in both mean and fluctuating senses. Both thermistor moorings and satellite inferred temperature data record th...

Aluminium sulfate (alum) was applied to Lake Okaro, a eutrophic New Zealand lake with recurrent cyanobacterial blooms, to evaluate its suitability for reducing trophic status and bloom frequency. The dose yielded 0.6 g aluminium m ‐3 in the epilimnion Before dosing, pH exceeded 8 in epilimnetic waters but was optimal for flocculation (6–8) below 4 m depth. After dosing, there was no significant change in water clarity, hypolim...