Kiwithrottlejockey
Guest
|
|
« on: April 03, 2009, 02:38:02 pm » |
|
Rare whitebait species found in WaikatoNZPA | Thursday, 15 March 2007An increasingly rare breed of whitebait has been found at Taitua Arboretum and Hamilton City Council is working with the Conservation Department to ensure its preservation.
A population of giant kokopu, numbering between 15 and 20 adult fish, has been located in a lowland stream area of the arboretum.
A connecting spring appears to have enabled the species to prosper by maintaining its favoured lowland stream habitat, the council said.
Giant kokopu is a threatened species across New Zealand and the rarest of the six whitebait species.
DOC spokesman Michael Lake said today the find at Taitua was significant because the kokopu might be landlocked from the sea.
Mr Lake said the protected Taitua environment had been the key factor in the giant kokopu population's ability to thrive.
The council's parks and gardens manager Bill Featherstone said council would work with DOC to ensure that the giant kokopu population continued to thrive.http://www.stuff.co.nz/3994013a7693.html
|
|
|
|
|
|