Butterfly Perch
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Fish Tank
Forum Description: Discuss fish species here - ecology, ichthyology, biology, habitats etc
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=44347
Printed Date: 18 Apr 2024 at 7:46pm
Topic: Butterfly Perch
Posted By: Catchelot
Subject: Butterfly Perch
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2009 at 3:24pm
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Anybody know much about these things, I caught two on Saturday out from Old Woman Whangarei Harbour entrance.
I possibly remember seeing these diving some years ago, but always neat to catch a new species, so just wondered if anybody had any knowledge on this species?
Cheers
  ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Replies:
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2009 at 4:22pm
| They're a really common fish, that eat (mainly) plankton- hence the reason you won't catch many on line. Generally not very big up north but get to decent sizes further south. Saw some up near a kilo in the Chathams. Some places (Leigh Reef for example) are absolutely covered in them |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2009 at 8:57pm
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Caught lots of them here off Wellington's South Coast, up to max 30cm long, fishing over reef for Blue Cod, have eaten them a few times and are quite good! They are actually from the GROPER family even though they look like a Maomao I discovered!!!
------------- https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2009 at 4:26pm
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Thanks Andrew, now I remember, I saw plenty of them diving at the Marlborough Sounds and on the Mikhail Lermintov, so yeah more of a South Island fish than what we are used to seeing up north and I can imagine they may congregate with Pink Maomao's... Cheers ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2009 at 5:00pm
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Haven't noticed any with pink maomao schools yet.
They are a cool fish though!
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Posted By: JamesHB
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2009 at 5:27pm
| Look like the product of a snapper and spotty |
Posted By: bluefox_13
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2009 at 9:03am
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you are right there catchelot, there are heaps of them around the marlborough sounds, just about any reefy area or good deep dropoff will have a resident school of them..... Can be ok eating if you get a larger one Im told, but Ive never been that hungry for fish.... But with the blue cod ban in the marlborough sounds now they might start to take a hammering from fishos over summer... ------------- Yes its cold... no I dont care that you feel the cold easily... no we can't get out.... |
Posted By: Uffy
Date Posted: 28 Aug 2009 at 1:43pm
| Catchelot - There must be a few around as there were a bunch of them swimming round in palin view at the new wharf at Urquarts the same day when me a the young fella were fishing for bait. A right nuisance they were grabbing the baits before the piper or macks could get to them. Never seen them there before. |
Posted By: MattB2
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2009 at 2:45pm
| There are heaps at kapiti island, have speared a couple and were OK eating - quite surprised really |
Posted By: Spearsniper
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 6:16pm
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Only really any good for a curry. Plenty of better tasting fish out there. ------------- http://spearfishingreview.info" rel="nofollow - www.spearfishingreview.info "If at first you don't succeed, reload and try again" |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2009 at 11:05pm
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Theres some excellent footage of them in this video from the Boulder Bank at Kapiti Island. Ive also normally caught them with Tarakihi and Cod. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AB-e2QmOIA - Butterfly Perch - click here ------------- https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 16 Sep 2009 at 8:07am
| you can catch some small ones down the bottom end of Waiheke as well, they seam to like a bit of current and hung out around low foul down here..... cool colours..... |
Posted By: weblinkbuilders
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2009 at 12:52am
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The Butterfly Perch is a common fish, and is found in temperate waters around rocky reefs in New Zealand. It is in the same family as groupers. Its pectoral fins are approximately the same length as the head. The Adults develop spots, pale blue fin margins and a blue band behind the eye. It forms large combined groups in deeper water which are exposed to continual strong tidal water movement. At night they can be seen sleeping in shallow depressions and rock crevices on the reef, and are replaced by schools of Barber Perch that are of similar appearance.
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