Fish of the Year - Week 3 Leaderboard

EMR Te ika o te tau | Fish of the Year 2023 Leaderboard: Week 3

It's the final countdown there are only FIVE days left to get your votes in for our third annual Te ika o te tau | Fish of the Year competition! Get your votes in by MIDNIGHT THIS FRIDAY to have your say! Our leaderboard hasn't been shaken too much this week with Manta's still in the top spot! They're a tough fish to beat! Shortjaw kōkopu have been booted from the top 10 with the adorable crested weedfish (backed by Dive! Tutukaka) joining lamprey (backed by Wilderlab NZ Ltd) in a tie for 9th place! The newest addition to the top 10 - the crested weedfish - is a skilled cryptic predator that is native to New Zealand and Southeast Australia. It is incredibly camouflaged to look, and move, like a blade of kelp. From here, it ambushes its prey and hides from its predators. They can grow up to 200 mm long, are found in stands of kelp from low water to depths of about 55 metres and vary in colour, camouflaging with their surroundings.

Voting isn't over yet! Voting is open until Friday 31st March! Will your vote be the game changer that shakes things up? Vote today at www.emr.org.nz/fish

Full leaderboard:

1. Oceanic manta ray (491 votes)
2. Longfin eels (345 votes)
3. Great white shark (300 votes)
4. Big-bellied seahorse (288 votes)
5. Basking shark (272 votes)
6. Īnanga (191 votes)
7. John dory (160 votes)
8. Blue cod (159 votes)
9. Crested weedfish (156 votes)
9. Lamprey (156 votes)
11. Shortjaw kōkopu (150 votes)
12. Yellowfin kingfish (146 votes)
13. Porcupine pufferfish (135 votes)
14. Blue-eyed triplefin (131 votes)
15. Snapper (128 votes)
16. Black mudfish (124 votes)
17. Butterfish (108 votes)
18. Flounder (100 votes)
19. Goatfish (99 votes)
20. School shark (90 votes)
21. Blue maomao (88 votes)
22. Yellow moray eel (86 votes)
23. Torrentfish (83 votes)
24. Pigfish (80 votes)
25. Stargazer (71 votes)
26. Leatherjacket (64 votes)
26. Redfin bully (64 votes)
28. Anchovies (64 votes)
29. Hāpuka (62 votes)
30. Common bully (53 votes)
31. Black angelfish (52 votes)
32. Red moki (49 votes)
32. Scorpion fish (49 votes)
34. Common triplefin (40 votes)
35. Sandager's wrasse (39 votes)
35. Trevally (39 votes)
37. Spotty (38 votes)
38. Two-spot demoiselles (31 votes)
39. Olive rockfish (27 votes)

#MarineReserves #FishOfTheYear2023 #eDNA #ExperientialLearning #TeIkaOTeTau2023 #FishOfTheYear #DOSomethingNewNZ #ExperiencingMarineReserves #MarineEducation #Wildlife #Snorkelling

FishOfTheYear