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Inanga

Inanga (Galaxias maculatus) are small (80-100 mm long) native fish that live in slow moving, lowland rivers, streams and lakes across New Zealand. They are olive-greenish coloured and their eyes, gill covers and belly are bright-silvery. They make up around 80% of the whitebait catch which consists of five separate galaxiid species. Compared to some of the other whitebait species, they are 'poor swimmers' and cannot climb up waterfalls or steep gradients in the water which makes them prone to migration barriers such as culverts, weirs and dams. Īnanga are ranked as ‘At Risk - Declining’ in the latest Conservation Status of New Zealand Freshwater Fish 2014.