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The fishes of the Kermadec islands comprise a mix of species from the tropics (north), the temperates (south), the subtropics (west: Norfolk, Australia; east: Rapa and Easter Island), and endemic species (Kermadecs). About 2% of species are found only here, which makes these islands a precious hotspot of biodiversity. Due to their isolation, several species on the Kermadecs have evolved into unique forms, found only here. Living in a very small spot, surrounded by a very large infertile ocean, poses special requirements, such as: growing old: the eggs and larvae of nearly all marine organisms spend some time (days to weeks) as plankton in the open water before settling down (recruitment). Because of ocean currents, the small size of the islands and the large ocean around, recruitment is uncertain and sporadic. Organisms therefore must sustain many years of unsuccessful spawning. living frugally: the concentration of nutrients in the water is low, supporting only low densities of plankton and plant growth. In order to survive through all seasons, marine organisms must be able to live thriftily. The Kermadecs are not a place to find fast growing fish such as dense schools of sardines, jack mackerels and other silver fish, and their predators. Neither can one expect organisms needing good densities of phytoplankton, such as mussels and scallops. The fish found here are mostly specialist feeders, filling a small niche in this environment. But it is surprising how many different species can be found in a single dive, and even more awesome how many of these are found only here and nowhere else in the world. To record them all, would require many dives. In this selection only the most common are shown. The following overview illustrates which fishes one can recognise when diving the Kermadecs: endemic species: caramel drummer (Girella fimbriata), Kermadec scalyfin (grey angelfish) (Parma kermadecensis), Kermadec triplefin (Enneapterygius kermadecensis), common both in northern NZ and Kermadecs: Short-tailed stingray (Dasyatis brevicaudata), Eagle ray (Myliobatus tenuicaudatus), grey moray (Gymnothorax nubilus), speckled moray (Gymnothorax obesus), Rock cod (Lotella rhacinus), slender roughy (Optivus elongatus), golden snapper (Centroberyx affinis), [Northern scorpionfish (Scorpaena cardinalis)], half-banded perch (Hypoplectrodes sp.), bluefish (Girella cyanea), blue maomao (Scorpis violaceus), mado (Atypichthys latus), pink maomao (Caprodon longimanus), two-spot demoiselle (Chromis dispilus), Sandager's wrasse (Coris sandageri), green wrasse (Notolabrus inscriptus), orange wrasse (Pseudolabrus luculentus), common in the Kermadecs, rare or absent in NZ: Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis), spotted moray (Gymnothorax pionodon), mosaic moray (Enchelycore ramosa), northern conger eel (Conger wilsoni), Red lizardfish (Synodus doaki), northern kahawai (Arripis xylabion), red lionfish (Pterois volitans), Cook's scorpionfish (Scorpaena cookii), yellow-banded perch (Acanthistius cinctus), gold-ribbon grouper (Aulacocephalus temmincki), toadstool grouper (Trachypoma macracanthus), spotted black grouper (Epinephelus daemelii), black-spot goatfish (Parupeneus spilurus), bar-tailed goatfish (Upeneus francisi), three-line cardinalfish (Apogon doederleini), bronze bullseye (Pempheris analis), grey drummer (Kyphosus bigibbus), grey knifefish (Bathystethus cultratus), blue knifefish (Labracoglossa nitida), splendid hawkfish (Cirrhitus splendens), surgefish (Chironemus microlepis), Kermadec demoiselle (Chrysiptera rapanui), Lord Howe coralfish (Amphichaetodon howensis), striped boarfish (Evistias acutirostris), notch-head marblefish (Aplodactylus etheridgii), painted moki (Cheilodactylus ephippium), rainbowfish (Suezichthys arquatus), mimic blenny (Plagiotremus tapeinosoma), white-dot blenny (Cirripectes alboapicalis), rare in the Kermadecs, common in NZ: trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex), kingfish (Seriola lalandi), kahawai (Arripis trutta), goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus), porae (Nemadactylus douglasii), black angelfish (Parma alboscapularis), red pigfish (Bodianus unimaculatus), crimson cleanerfish (Suezichthys aylingi), crested blenny (Parablennius lacticlavius), leatherjacket (Parika scaber), clown toado (sharp-nosed puffer) (Canthigaster callisterna), rare in Kermadecs, absent or rare in NZ: masked moki (Cheilodactylus sp.), Pacific gregory (Stegastes fasciolatus), northern splendid perch (Callanthias australis), blue-spotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus), ladder wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum), elegant wrasse (Anampses elegans), combfish (Coris picta), two-tone wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum), sunset wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens), tattooed rockskipper (Entomacrodus niuafoouensis), spotted surgeonfish (Prionurus maculatus), morse-code leatherjacket (Thamnaconus analis),
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