Here is one of the most dramatic fish we collected yesterday – and it’s the first time it’s ever been recorded anywhere in New Zealand. So a brand new record, not just for the Kermadecs but for the whole country.
Yesterday’s find of a Zebra Lionfish (or Dendrochirus zebra) is a first for New Zealand © Malcolm Francis
Its common name is a zebra lionfish, and its scientific name is Dendrochirus zebra. Lionfish are always stunning to look at, and this is not the only species of lionfish that we’ve seen.
I asked Tom what he thinks is the most exciting find of the expedition and he is raving about the gobies. There is only one record of a goby from here, and the team have collected what they think are three species, which would mean at least two new records for the Kermadecs.
Gobies are very small fish, just a couple of centimetres long, which just goes to show that good things come in small parcels!
