Orokonui Ecosanctuary/Awhina Wai - Water Care

=Galaxids=
 * Named from the galaxy like patterns on their sides

Migratory Galaxids
Also known as whitebait which are the juveniles of five species of fish: 4 of which are found in the Orokonui stream
 * 1) Giant kokopu - giants of small waterways, grow up to half a metre in length, striking gold patterns on their bodies likened to Egyptian hieroglyphics
 * 2) Banded kokopu and...
 * 3) Koaro - climbing extraordinaires, Sir Edmund Hillarys of the freshwater world, young use their strong fins and the surface tension of wet rocks to scale giant waterfalls to reach upstream habitats
 * 4) Inanga - the most common of the whitebait species. These streamlined galaxiids are distinguished by flashy silver streaks along their bodies, and are usually seen swimming in shoals
 * 5) Shortjaw kokopu - not found at Orokonui
 * Nocturnal - good at hiding during the day
 * Prefer bushy streams - shelter and food, insects falling from the overhanging plants
 * Breeding - mainly autumn
 * Inanga migrate downstream to estuaries and lay their eggs among plants and grasses
 * Kōaro and kōkopu stay where they are and lay their eggs on leaf litter and forest plants
 * Eggs stay out of water for several weeks under plant cover to keep moist
 * Hatch when re-immersed, either by spring tides (for inanga) or floods (for kōaro and kōkopu)
 * Larvae float out to sea where they live and grow, migrating back upstream as whitebait in spring

Non-migratory Galaxids
Belong to an ancient, scaleless fish family called Galaxiidae
 * Named for the galaxy-like gold flecks and patterns on their backs
 * Some non-migratory galaxiid species live out their entire life in the stream or river in which they hatched
 * Over millions of years these populations of galaxiids became isolated by geological events such as earthquakes and glacial movement
 * Evolving into distinct species
 * 1) Alpine galaxias
 * 2) Bignose galaxias
 * 3) Canterbury galaxias
 * 4) Central Otago roundhead galaxias
 * 5) Dusky galaxias
 * 6) Dwarf galaxias (West Coast)
 * 7) Dwarf inanga (North Kaipara Head dune lakes)
 * 8) Eldon’s galaxias
 * 9) Gollum galaxias
 * 10) Lowland longjaw galaxias (Kakanui River)
 * 11) Taieri flathead galaxias
 * 12) Upland longjaw galaxias (Canterbury, West Coast)
 * 13) Upland longjaw galaxias (Waitaki River)
 * There are a further group of at least 10 recognised indeterminate non-migratory galaxiids

Other

 * Bluegill bullies, bright blue iridescent gill-rays
 * Redfin bullies, which have war paint colouring - stripes blood red and jet black and defend their mates' eggs from hungry predators.
 * Electric blue lampreys - waiting for the right time to venture out to sea and attach for life to their host species, be it a whale, shark, or some other unlucky fish.
 * Freshwater crayfish (koura), terracotta-orange creepy crawly crustaceans, feed on the stream bottom, recycling decaying plant matter and commanding respect with their big glistening hairy claws

Links
 * ODT - Orokonui Stream Creatures