Story: Open ocean
The upper diagram shows the development of hoki from egg to tiny fish. Hoki spawn in winter. The fertilised eggs float up to surface waters, where they become part of the plankton. After about three days they hatch into larvae without mouths. Their mouth develops a few days later, and the tiny hoki begin feeding voraciously on the zooplankton around them. Their preferred food is the tiny crustacean Calocalanus, also pictured here.
About this item
NIWA - National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.