A work in progress providing an alphabetical list of common and alternative names of most of the common New Zealand marine and
freshwater fish regarded as edible. Compiled by Heritage Foods director Mike Bradstock

Many fish names are confusing because they are applied to several different kinds of fish, or different names are used between one region and another. Other names used are imprecise (e.g. “cod”) or inappropriate, eg. the fish most often called “herring” is in fact a type of mullet. And it gets more complicated than that.

‘flat’ — fish that have a flattish body with both eyes on the same side, eg. flounder. The NZ species of flatfish are usually prepared whole or in long thin fillets.

‘long’ — length more than twice the height, eg. blue cod, gurnard, eel. These yield long, comparatively thick fillets and round steaks.

’round’ — length not more than twice the height of the body, eg. snapper, tarakihi. Fish of this basic shape tend to produce wide, not particularly thick fillets, and when cut across the whole body into steaks these tend to be oval or elliptical in shape.

Size is classified as follows:

• small — under 1 kg, eg. flounder, blue maomao
• medium — usually up to 10 kg, eg. tarakihi, snapper. Some fish included in this category grow larger but they are usually under 10 kg.
• large — usually up to 50 kg, eg. groper, kingfish, school shark. Again, some of these fish exceptionally may grow bigger. Fish in this
• category are not usually displayed or sold whole.
• very large — usually more than 50 kg. The main fish in this category are marlins. swordfish, and certain kinds of shark.

abalone
See paua.

albacore
A dark blue tuna distinguished from other tunas by its long pectoral fins, which are about half as long as the body. A heavy, plump “round” medium-sized tuna. Premium quality with dark flesh that turns white when cooked or canned. Small albacore are known by commercial fishermen as ‘cokes’.

alfonsino
A ’round’ red deep-sea fish with large eyes; to 60 cm and 2 kg. Often displayed whole in shop windows; looks rather like a big goldfish. Firm white flesh, medium fat. Often sold whole at a low price. Highly recommended.

anchovy
An 8-12 cm silvery fish with dark flesh, not caught commercially but very similar to the imported ones. If you can obtain them, salted and dried they are very good for recipes that call for small whole fish.

angelfish, black
A small black reef fish living in shallow northern waters. Best left strictly alone as a scenic attraction.

Australian salmon
see kahawai

baby groper
A name sometimes used in Wellington fish shops for bluenose and small groper.

barracouta
a ‘long’ silvery fish up to a metre long and 3 kg with long sharp teeth. Darkish low-fat flesh, sometimes infested with worms. Often canned.

bass.
See groper

black flounder.
See flounder.

black snapper.
See parore

blackfish.
See parore

bloater
see pilchard

blue cod
A thick-set, ‘long’ grey-blue to dark grey fish with rough scales. White flesh, low fat, suitable for all cooking methods. Heads excellent for soup. A premium fish in the south. Highly recommended.

blue mackerel
Also called English or Pacific mackerel or slimey mackerel. A ‘long’ plump tuna-like fish reaching 45 cm and 2 kg. Silvery below with a pattern of wavy blue-green lines above. Dark flesh with a high fat content, but rather coarse and dense. This fish is closely related to the mackerel sold in cans. Usually very cheap; best smoked.

blue maomao
A small ’round’ blue-grey fish found in the north. Fine flake, medium fat flesh, excellent for frying or grilling whole. Recommended.

blue moki
A ’round’ fish reaching 80 cm and more than 10 kg, blue-grey above and silver below, more common in the south. Firm medium-fat flesh; an under-rated, often very cheap fish. Recommended, especially if you buy them whole: take fillets off for frying and use the head and backbone for fish soup. Fillets sometimes are patchily grey-and-white, but this is not a sign there is anything wrong: they turn evenly white when cooked.

blue warehou.
See warehou.

blue whiting.
Also called southern blue whiting or poutassou. A ‘long” small grey-bluish deep-sea fish caught in waters south of New Zealand; an abundant resource that is becoming more widely available. Usually has been frozen at sea.White, delicate flesh with low fat; average quality.

bluenose
A dark blue to grey or brownish, deep-sea ’round’ fish with a large rounded head. Closely related to warehou but usually larger — to 1 m and more than 20 kg. Medium texture, succulent and delicious. Very highly recommended. Bluenose heads are also my first choice for fish soup. Sometimes sold as groper; also known as bonita, wall-eye, stone eye, deep-sea trevalla and sometimes, baby groper.

boof, boof-head
see monkfish

bonita
see bluenose

bonito
see skipjack tuna

bream
An ill-defined term: Snapper is a member of the bream family, and the derived name brim (q.v.) is sometimes used for this. Rig (q.v.) is sometimes sold as “deep-sea bream” but is actually a kind of dogfish. See also ray’s bream. The name bream is probably also used occasionally for other species.

brill
See turbot.

brim.
Name used in Nelson/Marlborough for snapper, especially small ones. Do not believe anyone who tries to say there is any difference other than size.

broadbill
The usual name used in New Zealand for swordfish, a large to very large, blue to brown fish with a distinctive sword. Superficially like marlin but not closely related to them; distinguyish by having a flat “sword” rather than a spike. Premium species with large flakes of firm white flesh, ideal for grilling.

bronze-whaler shark
see shark

butterfish
A ‘long’, dark green, rather thick-set fish with streaming long fins and green bones, hence the name greenbone which is used in the south. Very delicate, fine, rather soft white flesh; good for baking and frying. This fish feeds on seaweed, so has a high iodine content.

cardinal fish
A moderate-sized dark brown deepwater fish sometimes caught with orange roughy.

clam.
Although this is an American name for bivalve shellfish living in sand, like pipi, tuatua, cockle, etc, it is a useful general term. Such shellfish are often collectively called pipis, but this name best refers to a particular type.

cockle
Usually refers to the rather rounded, rough-textured bivalve shellfish that lives intertidally in muddy sand in sheltered harbours and estuaries throughout the country. Purple and white inside the shell; has a small “foot” or tongue. For two reasons this is arguably our best clam: firstly because of its fine flavour and secondly because the foot, which tends to toughen when cooked, is small compared to that of other clams.

cod
A real catch-all name — includes blue cod, deepsea cod, red cod, and rock cod, and is also used by some fishmongers as a ‘non-committal’ name for other fish.

coke
see albacore

conger eel
A dark blue or grey marine eel growing to more than 10 kg. Not as oily as freshwater eel, therefore not as good, but still good, very firm white flesh. Cheap and under-rated; good smoked or for soup. A smaller species, the northern conger, with a pinkish hue and larger eyes, occurs in warmer NZ waters and is also very good.

crab
see rock crab, swimming crab, spider crab

crayfish
The most commonly used name for what is commercially known as rock lobster. Two species, packhorse crayfish (also called smooth-tailed or green rock lobster, occasionally growing up to 20 kg), and red or spiny crayfish (to 8 kg). The latter is far more abundant. Rock lobsters seen on sale are typically 500g to 5 kg in weight, and often sold after they have been cooked, which turns them uniformly reddish-orange. Both kinds are excellent eating, but a thriving export market has put the price beyond most people.

creamfish
Also called leatherjacket. Sold headed, gutted and skinned, with small yellow fins along the edges and the tail still on. Very tasty, firm white flesh, good for frying — and cheap. Though a small fish, about 150g when prepared, they are not full of small bones and in fact quite manageable. Recommended. To prepare leatherjackets you have caught yourself, or bought whole, see p.00.

cucumber
fish see smelt

dab.
See flounder.

deep-sea
bream See rig.

deep-sea cod
An ill-defined term, but most often applied to a fish that is also called ribaldo: a true cod with good-quality firm white flesh, mainly caught in the south.

deep-sea dory.
See oreo dory

deep-sea perch.
A name sometimes used for orange roughy, especially when it is being exported.. More accurately it could sometimes be applied to sea perch (q.v.)

deep-sea trevalla
See bluenose.

dog, dogi, doggie
variations of “dogfish”, usually referring to rig.

dogfish Various types of small shark-like fishes. See rig (the most popular and best type for eating), spiky dogfish (a markedly inferior species) and northern spiky dogfish.

dory.
See john dory, oreo dory. The name dory in a shop window could mean either of these, or possibly the less common lookdown dory, mirror dory or silver dory — all good-quality, white-fleshed medium-fat fish.

eel
(freshwater)
Two species: short-finned and longfinned, which are very similar, with firm white flesh of high fat content and excellent smoked. Highly
recommended, though a hassle to prepare (slimy, with tough skin). Do not believe the myth that eels from sluggish rivers have a muddy
taste.

eel
see freshwater eel, conger eel, blind eel

escolar

elephant fish

A silvery or silvery-brown fish with a short “trunk” for a mouth; closely related to the dogfishes and sharks and one of the best eating of the group. Not common in the north. Often used for fish and chips; also called silver trumpeter.

English hake
A ‘long’ grey fish up to a metre long and 6 kg. Much less common than formerly: a victim of the mad 1970s overfishing. Flesh moist, rather soft and delicate. Recommended. The name hake is often, inaccurately, used for gemfish.

English mackerel.
See blue mackerel

filefish
a name occasionally used for creamfish.

flake
A fishmonger’s name for school shark

flatfish.
See flounder, sole and turbot.

flinger.
See sea perch

flounder
Four types. Greenback flounder and yellowbelly flounder are very alike. They vary in colour from green to grey; yellowbelly flounder are by far the more common, and recognised by often having spots and yellowish colour on the underside. These are the best species for eating. The sand flounder or dab is distinctively diamond-shaped, brown to greenish grey, and probably the next best to eat. The black or river flounder is grey with red spots, lives mainly in brackish or fresh water, and is the least esteemed. All grow to about 40 cm and may reach perhaps 600g in weight. They tend to vary in condition — look critically at them and select those that are thicker in the middle, rather than the “flatter” ones. Moist delicate flesh, ideal for frying. Sole and turbot (q.v.) are other types of flatfish.

flyingfish

frostfish
A slender, silvery fish up to 2m long and 3 kg. Not very common. So-called because it is said to be often washed up on frosty mornings. Delicate white flesh. Recommended.

garfish
Also called piper. Slender silvery fish about 25 cm long with a beak-like lower jaw. Excellent firm white flesh. Best fried whole. Highly recommended.

gemfish
Also called southern kingfish, silver kingfish, and (incorrectly) southern hake or hake. A ‘long’ silvery fish, bluish above, up to a metre long and 6 kg. Has smooth skin and two distinct lines running along the side, one near the top and one in the middle. One of the finest fish in the sea, with moist, white, high-fat, succulent flesh, perfect for smoking or baking. Often sold smoked, but be sure it has not just been “painted” with smoke flavouring (this process is sometimes fraudulently called “kippering”.) Not usually available fresh; best bought in the headed and gutted form which has been frozen at sea — it keeps well this way, and can be filleted after thawing with little loss of quality. Very highly recommended.

ghost shark

globefish
also called pufferfish. Poisonous, though related species in japan, called fugu, are a famous delicacy.

goatfish
see red mullet

golden snapper
see red snapper

grandaddy, grandaddy groper
see sea perch

grandfather hapuka
see sea perch

granite trout
see marblefish

Greenback flounder.
See flounder.

greenbone
see butterfish

grenadier
see hoki

grey mullet
Small (usually less than 1 kg) silvery fish, blueish or greenish grey above, with a thick body and broad head and snout. Large scales in rows. Firm white flesh, high in fat. Excellent smoked or baked.

groper.
See hapuka.

gurnard
Same as red gurnard. An orange-coloured fish, white underneath, with a bony pointed head, leg-like “feelers” and beautifully coloured fins that spread out like butterfly wings. Firm, low-fat, fine-flake flesh with a lovely fresh smell. This once underrated fish is becoming more popular. Recommended. See also spotted gurnard

hagfish
Also called blind eel, and a number of vulgar names

hake.
See gemfish and English hake. This name is confusing, as it most often is applied to gemfish and ocasionally to hoki, but strictly speaking
the only true hake is English hake. Anything sold as “smoked hake” is most probably gemfish.

hapuka
The names hapuka (or hapuku) and groper are used interchangeably. A big thick-set grey fish, white below with a large head and undershot
jaw, usually sold as fillets or steaks. Firm, white flesh with a high fat content, suitable for all cooking methods. Groper heads are
excellent for soup (though the copious oil should be skimmed off), or for eating steamed or smoked. If you have the good fortune to see
groper cheeks on sale, buy them and fry them for a wonderful, succulent treat. Smoked roe, if the whole roe is larger than your hand, is
usually groper roe. Two other fish also sold as hapuka/groper are bluenose (sometimes called “baby” groper) and bass, a close relative of
the groper but larger and from deeper water.

herring
See yellow-eyed mullet

Highlander.
See sea perch

hoki
Also called blue hake and sometimes whiting. A slender silvery-blue fish whose body tapers back to a sharp point rather than a tail; to 1.2
metres and 3 kg. If you see hoki whole, they often look grey, damaged and unattractive, as they are often rather knocked about when caught
in trawl nets; but the flesh still seems to remain sound. Delicate white moist rather soft flesh of average flavour; recognisable by a thin
yellowish-white strip of fat running along the outer middle of the fillet. Our most abundant fish resource, caught by deep-sea trawlers and
used commercially to make fish fingers, fishburgers, fish cakes, surimi (the raw ingredient of “crabsticks”), in fish and chips, etc.
Related, smaller hoki-like fishes are called grenadiers.

horse mackerel.
See jack mackerel

Iki, Iki snapper
xxx

jack mackerel
Also called horse mackerel and, in the north, yellowtail. Two very similar species of ‘long’ small rather plump fish. Blue or greenish
brown above; silvery white below, with a distinct row of large sharpish scales running along the middle of the body. Not a true mackerel,
but a member of the scad family, related to trevally. Medium fat, dark, rather firm flesh which whitens when cooked. Excellent smoked or
grilled; highly under-rated — often available dirt cheap, but they deteriorate in quality rapidly if not well cared for, so check
freshness before buying.

Japanese gurnard
see spotted gurnard

Jap pack
xxx

Jelly fish.
See skate.

Jim Beam
see Ray’s bream

Jock Stuart.
See sea perch

john dory
Peculiar-looking thin ’round’ fish with large head and trailing dorsal fins. Brownish with a dark spot in the middle of the side. Highly
regarded because it yields boneless fillets of firm white flesh, but in my view over-rated. With the skin on, it holds together well when
cubed therefore is useful for fish stews.

kahawai
Superficially rather salmon-like, greenish to dark blue above and silvery or white below. Small kahawai, less than about 30 cm, have a
number of brown spots and are sometimes called kopapa. The flesh of kahawai is dark, rather reddish in colour (especially the band along
the outer middle of the fillet), medium to coarse in texture, with a comparatively strong flavour. In Australia, where this fish is known
as salmon or Australian salmon, this fish is regarded highly when canned, but in NZ it is under-rated, indeed often regarded with contempt,
when in fact is suitable for all cooking methods. Needs to be chilled quickly when caught or deteriorates quickly. Often can be bought very
cheaply; highly recommended. Try it and thereafter you will be able to smile patronisingly at the fools who, having never tried it
themselves, tell you it is “dry” and “flavourless”.

kina.
Xxxxx

kingfish
A big strong fish, very popular with sport anglers but not very common in the shops. Grows to 2 m and 60 kg, blueish green above and
silvery below. Dark, medium fat, excellent for grilling, baking and frying, and for sashimi. Recommended. Small kingfish are sometimes
called yellowtail but this name is used for jack mackerel too. Not to be confused with southern kingfish.

kingklip
South African name for ling.

koheru
xxx

kokopu
Adults of certain kinds of fish which are more familiar, when small, as whitebait.

kopapa
see kahawai

lamprey
xxx

leatherjacket.
See creamfish

lemon fish
Usually rig (q.v.) or school shark (q.v.), but also applied to the filleted and skinned flesh of other dogfish and sharks. Somewhat
variable in quality depending on the type and size of the fish it came from. Lemon fish is firm, white, low in fat and has a good flavour
though sometimes it has an ammonia taint, which can be removed by briefly soaking in water with vinegar or lemon juice added. Being
dependably free of bones, lemon fish is much used in the fish-and-chip trade.

lemon sole
xxx

ling
A large (to 20 kg) eel-like fish with a marbled pink skin. Often sold in “blocks” — sections of the body with skin still on — or as
smoked fillets. Very firm white flesh, low in fat and splendid smoked, baked or in a sauce. Recommended.

lobster
see crayfish

mackerel.
See blue mackerel, jack mackerel.

mangrove fish
see parore

maomao
See blue maomao and pink maomao.

Maori chief
A mainly southern, medium-sized dark grey or greenish fish with a large flat head and an elaborate pattern on the head vaguely reminiscent
of a tattoo. Good eating with firm, slightly coarse flakes, but sometimes worm-infested. Also known as black cod. This name is also used
for marblefish.

marlin
A group of very large fishes distinguished by the spiky prolongation of the snout. Not to be confused with swordfish, though the flesh is
very similar. The commonest species is striped marlin; black and blue marlin are more scarce and grow larger. Marlin flesh is orange,
turning white as it cooks, and is firm, succulent and delicious. Suitable for all cooking methods but best grilled or smoked.

moki.
See Blue moki

moonfish
xxx

monkfish
Also known as stargazer, bulldog, churchill and boof or boof-head. A rather ugly but highly esteemed fish with very firm white flesh.
Sometimes said to resemble crayfish, which it does only in texture — it does not flake easily. For this reason it has even been used for
fake scallops! The name monkfish is applied in Europe to members of the anglerfish family but these are only superficially similar. The
spotted stargazer is a smaller relative that lives in shallow water and is also very good eating.

morwong
Australian name for tarakihi

mullet.
See grey mullet, also yellow-eyed mullet

mussels
Two types: green-lipped and blue. Farmed ones are green-lipped mussels, also found growing on rocks around or below low-tide mark. Blue
mussels, which are dark blue in colour, grow on the tidal shore and are smaller, royal blue to almost black in colour, and more common in
the south. It is a myth that blue mussels are inferior; if anything they are better. The main factor affecting mussel quality is whether
they have recently spawned and lost condition.

northern conger
see conger eel

northern kingfish.
See kingfish

northern spikey dogfish
xxx

octopus
The coastal octopus, living under rocks in coastal waters, is unmistakeable. After skinning it can be cooked like squid (q.v.), which it
resembles, though it is tougher. Good for marinating in lemon juice. “Baby” octopus are imported from Australia, where they are a by-catch
in the prawn fishery; succulent little morsels wonderful for paella or for frying.

oilfish
xxx

orange roughy
A medium-sized deep-sea fish which, since its discovery by deep-sea trawlers in the 1970s has gone from being a museum piece to one of our
most important commercial fishes. A big-headed ’round’ scarlet fish which fades after death to a greyish-orange colour. Only seen in the
shops as fillets, which are pearly white, medium texture with large flakes. The reasons for its great popularity include the fact that it
doesn’t really have a very ‘fishy’ flavour, and it keeps well, often being thawed and re-frozen during processing without much loss of
quality. In my view it is a bit overrated. Exported as deep-sea perch.

opah
see moonfish

oreo dory
Two species, black and smooth oreo. Both are deep-sea ’round’ grey fish with large dark eyes and dense white flesh that holds together well
when cooked. Always seen in the shops as rather small, skinned fillets.

oyster
Three kinds. Beginning with the best, we have dredge oysters which are caught in coastal waters, mainly in Foveaux Strait (the famous Bluff
oysters) and off Nelson. No words of praise are adequate for these. The smaller oysters growing on the shore in the north are (native) rock
oysters — also very good, but not generally on sale. The third type are Pacific oysters, large frilly-edged shellfish grown on oyster
farms in the north and now found widely on shores throughout New Zealand, having first appeared here as recently as the 1970s. New
Zealanders are spoiled by Bluff oysters, which set the standard by which Pacific oysters are judged. This is to say the least an unequal
contest: Pacific oysters are somewhat slimy in texture and less tasty, but still good.

Pacific mackerel or Pacific blue mackerel.
See blue mackerel.

Packhorse rock lobster
see crayfish

paddle crabs.
Greyish-shelled crabs that live off sandy beaches and grow to 8 cm across the shell. Only buy them if they are still alive. The back pair
of legs are flat “paddles” used to swim backwards. Excellent sweet white flesh, even better than crayfish; rather hard to get at but worth
the effort. Highly recommended.

parore
Also called black snapper, blackfish, mangrove fish, and (in Australia) luderick A ’round’ fish found in the north, dark brown with
vertical bands; up to 3 kg. feeds mainly on seaweed. A somewhat controversial fish: some people esteem it and others despise it. Probably
the quality varies with condition of individual fish, what they have recently been eating, and how they were prepared. The general view is
that a parore in good condition, filleted and skinned soon after being caught, yields excellent firm white flesh suitable for baking,
frying, and making fish cakes.

parrotfish see wrasse

paua
Two species of limpet-shaped shellfish related to snails, common subtidally in rocky places. In some places they can still be found easily
at low tide. Closely related to abalone (North America and Australia) and ormer (UK) and very highly regarded the world over — a couple of
years ago paua was worth $128/kg on export markets. Black or “ordinary” paua grow to 16 cm and the shells have the famous iridescent
green/blue colour inside and are usually encrusted with marine life on the outside. The meat is white or pale greenish grey under the black
skin, and delicious fried. Yellow-footed paua grows to about 10 cm and the meat is yellowish in colour, perhaps not as good eating. The
shell is silvery inside and not encrusted.

perch
An ill-defined name which includes sea perch xxx as well as thr true perch, a freshwater fish common in some NZ lakes and rivers and good
eating.

pigfish
see southern pigfish, red pigfish

pilchard
Same as sardine, though the New Zealand type is a different species, usually larger than the ones bought in tins. Pilchards make excellent
bait and are usually sold for this purpose, at such a high price few people would buy them to eat. Excellent canned or bottled — the flesh
is dark, rich and oily.

pink maomao
Not often seen on sale, but a reasonably common schooling fish over rocky reefs in the north. A ’round’ pink fish usually less than 1 kg,
related to groper. Good quality white fillets.

pioke
see rig

piper.
See garfish

pipi
This Maori name is widely used for all kinds of burrowing bivalve shellfish or clams. The type most commonly called pipi grows to 7 cm
long, burrowing in clean sand of sheltered harbours and bays, and in the outer reaches of estuaries, usually just above low tide mark. It
is roughly oval in shape and varies greatly in colour and pattern, but can always be recognised by the thin skin-like strip around the edge
of the shell and the oval shape without any straight edges. The meat is tasty but the main part, the foot or “tongue”, is usually rather
tough. See also cockle, tuatua and toheroa

pomfret
see Ray’s bream

porae
xxx Not to be confused with parore.

Poutassou/putassu
see blue whiting

prawn
Small transparent prawns occur in rock pools and are tasty raw or cooked if you can be bothered. Otherwise you must buy imported prawns,
usually from Australia. See also scampi

quinnat salmon
see salmon

rat tail, rat fish
see grenadier

ray
see stingray, eagleray, skate

Ray’s bream
Also called Jim Beams. A type of pomfret — fish which are much esteemed in other countries — but not well known here. A ’round’ silvery
grey fish, silvery on the sides and under; narrow in cross-section with a big eye and soft fins. To 3 kg and 60 cm long. Very firm, rich
flesh — excellent eating, suitable for all cooking methods; highly recommended.

red bait
xxx Dark, rich flesh, good smoked.

red cod
Also cod, Akaroa cod. Soft white moist low-fat flesh, tends to fall apart easily. Much used for fish cakes, fish fingers and fish and
chips. Cheap.

red crayfish
see crayfish

redfish
see red snapper

red gurnard.
See gurnard

red mullet
xxx Also called goatfish.

red pigfish
see wrasse

red snapper
xxx

ribaldo
see deep-sea cod

rig
A dogfish with beautiful bright blue spots and no spines in its dorsal fins (thi distinguishes it from the inferior spiney or spikey
dogfish). Very good, firm, tasty flesh; much used for fish and chips, and heavily overfished commercially in the past. It also has rather a
lot of alternative names including spotted smooth-hound, smooth-hound dogfish, spotted dogfish, doggie (sometimes spelt “dogi”), pioke and
deep-sea bream. It is also one of the various fish sold as lemon fish (q.v.).

River flounder.
See flounder.

rock crab
xxx

rock lobster
see crayfish

roughy
see orange roughy.

rubyfish.
A small slender silvery-red fish occasionally offered for sale. Firm rather dark flesh, very good smoked.

rudderfish
139xxx

saiulfish
xxx

salmon
The main species here is quinnat salmon, also called spring, chinook or king salmon in its native environment of the Pacific coast of north
America. A large fish that occurs wild around the South Island and is widely farmed. Closely related to rainbow trout. Dense firm flesh,
high in fat, suitable for all cooking methods but particularly good smoked or grilled. Atlantic salmon, similar in quality, is also farmed
in NZ and Australia.

sardine
See pilchard

saury
xxx

scallop
(common/Queen)

scampi
Small lobster-like crustaceans (body length to 20 cm) with long thin claws and very long antennae. Pinkish white with reddish bands; caught
in very deep water and not very abundant. Absolutely delicious dense white flesh in the tail. Closely related animals in other countries
are called Norway lobsters or Dublin Bay prawns.

scarpee
See sea perch

schnapper. A common misspelling of snapper (q.v.)

school shark. See lemon fish

scorpion fish
see red scorpionfish. Scorpion fish is also the name of a family of fishes including the sea perch.

sea cucumber
xxx

sea perch
A big-headed, spiny fish of variable red to orange colour, living in a wide range of depths around New Zealand. Belongs to the scorpionfish
family but is not poisonous and in fact good eating. Often sold as small firm white fillets suitable for all cooking methods. Known by
numerous other names eg. scarpee, Jock Stuart, highlander; and fishermen in Northland call then flingers because they “fling” them straight
back over the side!

sea urchin see kina

shark
Most species of sharks are sometimes sold for food when they are caught, as long as they are not so large and old that the flesh is likely
to be coarse or high in mercury. The most common is school shark (see lemon fish), and others include mako and thresher (both of which have
excellent reddish flesh), blue shark, hammerhead, bronze-whaler, and a number of more obscure types.

shellfish
Includes molluscs (paua, cockles, clams, mussels, scallops, pipis, tuatuas, octopus and squid), crustaceans (rock crabs, paddle crabs, rock
lobster or crayfish, scampi) and echinoderms (kina or sea urchins).

silverside
xxx

silver trumpeter.
See elephant fish

silvery
see smelt

skate
Two types, rough and smooth skate. These kite-shaped fish are related to sharks and stingrays, and like all members of the group do not
have hard bones. Skinned ‘wings’ are very moist, delicate, white flesh suitable for grilling, frying and baking. Some people don’t like the
flavour, but others rate it very highly, and it is usually quite cheap. Worth trying. There is a network of cartilaginous strands in the
middle of each portion but these are not a hassle to deal with. Also called jelly fish.

skipjack tuna
xxx

skippy
see skipjack tuna

slut
Vulgar and thankfully archaic commercial fisherman’s term for a female crayfish carrying external eggs, which he (and I say he advisedly)
is therefore obliged to throw back.

smelt
a very small silvery, partly transparent fish often caught in whitebait nets. Found in the sea, in rivers and in some lakes. Can be dried
or salted; perfectly edible but not very tasty.

smooth-hound dogfish
see rig

snapper
When anyone goes fishing in the North Island, and in parts of the South Island, this is probably the fish they are most hoping to catch. A
beautiful-looking silvery ’round’ fish with a large head, blue spots and flushed with red and gold. White to grey flesh, medium texture,
suitable for all cooking methods; excellent also for sashimi and marinated fish dishes. Few parts of a snapper should ever be discarded:
the head is excellent for fish soup and stock; the ‘wings’ are superb fried and should never be thrown away when filleting the fish; even
the liver is a delectable morsel. See also red snapper

snoek
see barracouta

sole.
Two kinds of flatfish, basically similar to flounders, with rather rough scales. Lemon sole, the better of the two, is a dark grey-brown
oval fish with a rather pointed head; the New Zealand sole (also called the English sole or common sole) is greenish-grey and oval with a
round head. Both yield delicate white fillets, suitable for frying and much used in fish-and-chip trade. Both fish are also sometimes sold
whole.

southern blue whiting
see blue whiting

southern hake.
See gemfish.

southern kingfish.
See gemfish.

spider crab
xxx

spotted gurnard
xxx

spotty.
See wrasses

squid
A type of shellfish related to octopuses and cuttlefishes, which swims in open waters and is excellent eating. Usually bought as “squid
tubes”, the front part of the animal which is shaped like a hollow cone, skinned and ready to cut up (or stuff) and cook. For most people
buying squid tubes is the best option and well worth the extra cost, as preparing whole squid is time-consuming and messy. However, whole
squid are cheap and come with the ink sac, an essential, very tasty ingredient in certain sauces (eg. see p. 00 and 00). The tentacles are
also good eating, and trimmings and guts can be used in stock or for fishing bait. Skinning squid is the hardest part of preparation, and
best done after blanching or parboiling, though this is not permitted in all recipes.

stargazer.
See monkfish

stingray
A much-maligned fish similar to the skate; it feeds on shellfish and is quite unaggressive, even shy. However, it has a very sharp,
serrated spine (sometimes two spines) set in the base of its tail, which makes it potentially dangerous. People have been badly injured
after accidentally diving or stepping on top of one that is lying on the bottom. The tail is also covered with small spines that can injure
if the ray lashes about when caught on a line. Distinguish it from the skate (grey, without a barb on the tail) and the eagleray (with a
blue pattern on the back and small spine). Stingrays grow to a large size, more than 2 metres long, are dark grey above and white or
mottled underneath, and may reach more than 100 kg in weight. There are two similar species, long- and short-tailed. The wings contain good
quality, boneless flesh of similar composition to that of the skate (q.v.) but denser. Small ones are best; well worth trying.

sunfish
xxx

swimming crab
xxx

swimming crabs
See paddle crabs

swordfish
see broadbill. Marlin are also sometimes erroneously called by this name.

tarakihi
xxx

throats
An ill-defined term for certain offcuts; usually applied to the wings (q.v.) of a groper

To facilitate description I have classified fish shapes into three basic types: (pic of each)

toheroa

trevalla
Misspelling of trevally (q.v.); also deep-sea trevalla is the Tasmanian name for bluenose (q.v.)

trevally
A northern fish

trout

trumpeter
Not to be confused with silver trumpeter, an unrelated fish.

tuatua
xxx

tuna
xxx

turbot
Also called brill. A round dark-mottled flatfish with apricot-coloured flesh; more common in the south. Probably the best flatfish of all
- and the largest, reaching nearly a metre long. Often used for fish and chips. Recommended.

urchin
see kina

warehou
Three types — blue, silver and white warehou — which are all excellent and under-rated. Blue warehou is the largest and by far the most
common, and not without good reason is it sometimes nicknamed “southern snapper”. Blue warehou is a rather slender round-headed fish, plump
and silvery blue with a dark patch behind the head. The rather pink flesh whitens and firms on cooking; medium fat content. Warehou are
mainly caught in the south, moderately priced and considerably under-rated. The heads are excellent for soup. Blue warehou is also called
common warehou and sometimes, inappropriately, trevally. Silver warehou is smaller, greyer, spotted, and is similar but perhaps has a
higher fat content. White warehou is paler still in colour, as the name suggests, and probably not distinguished as such when offered for
sale. All the warehous are very highly recommended.

weever
see blue cod

whipray
see eagleray

whiptail
see hoki

whitebait
You should be so rich.

whiting.
See southern blue whiting, also hoki.

wings
Term used for the chest and throat area of a fish, i.e. the lower part of the body immediately behind the head, which has the pectoral fins
attached (these are the fish’s equivalent of arms.) Because it is bony, the wing area is usually left attached to the head when a fillet is
taken off a whole fish, or it is trimmed off the fillet afterwards. But the wings of the large or better-quality fish are too good to
waste, and are often sold as a cheap cut. They also normally have skin and any scales attached too. But the wing meat is a particularly
firm and tasty portion, and the bones are mostly large and flat and not as difficult to deal with as pin bones. Groper and snapper wings
are particularly good. ‘Wings’ also refers to the parts of skate (q.v.) that are eaten, though these are quite different and unbony.

witch
see flounders

wrasses
Also called parrotfishes; a large family which includes the spotty, banded parrotfish, scarlet parrotfish, girdled parrotfish, red pigfish
and a number of smaller fishes. Most are not usually eaten, but the spotties children proudly bring home from fishing excursions are
excellent eating when fried after removing the head, guts and scales, though care is needed with the bones. If you can be bothered, spotty
fillets are excellent soused or marinated. Spotties need to be scaled, which is much easier to do when they are freshly caught. All wrasses
are good smoked, but otherwise most are rather dull and lacking in flavour.

yellow-belly flounder.
See flounder.

yellow-eyed
mullet xxx

yellowtail.
See jack mackerel, kingfish.