New Glidergoby for New Zealand

It's not every day that a species of fish is documented for the first time in New Zealand waters. On February 14, 2023, Craig Johnston, @craigrj, photographed this Blacklined Glidergoby, Valenciennea helsdingenii, at a depth of 12m on the north-west side of White Reef, Deep Water Cove in the Bay of Islands.

Craig said, "I realized it wasn't a species known from New Zealand waters, so I was keen to try and get some good shots of it so it could be identified." Thank you Craig, we are delighted that you did.

In a comment added to Craig's observation, @fiestykakapo pointed out that marine ecologists Crispin and Irene Middleton observed another Blacklined Glidergoby at the Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand on April 17, 2022.

Well done Craig, Crispin and Irene. It must be pretty exciting to photograph a species of fish that is rarely encountered in New Zealand waters.

In Australia, the Blacklined Glidergoby is known to occur from Lizard Island, northern Queensland to Sydney, New South Wales. View the Australian Faunal Directory webpage for the species.