Ray Dogue would probably beg to differ but not sure was a Masterchef or mega food critic. Books I read when young almost 50 yrs back rated pink maomao as "excellent.". Did you look after it and salt it enough.
Most fish is ok to good depending on how you cook it. Some like Blue Nose and John Dory and Mahi Mahi are just fantastic .. and take a lot of bad cheffing to stuff up.
I've see few pig fish in bags .. can't say I've eaten them but keen to try. Understand GD hapuka is very nice as well. Thrown back a few bigger specimens of those.
Piper and paketi also delicous that I know. I eat a lot of snapper cause what I mainly catch but would like to eat more tarakihi.
Nothing like good well prepared and tenderised chargrilled seared octopus.

Had some Pink Maomao last night and more tomorrow night. I rate a lot better than snapper. Small Bluenose and Hapuka get a big nod too. Granddaddy ok too but as slow growing territorial pair for life and survive the barotrauma I return them. 

By-catch Snapper fishing with bait 85m pin