ASFB Home > 2003 > Biological Invasions: Consequences for Parasites, Pathogens, Emerging Diseases, and Fisheries in the Marine Environment.

The invasion of New Zealand waters by Murphy’s mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus murphyi) — another American in the southwest Pacific

Paul Taylor

NIWA, P.O. Box 11 115, Hamilton, New Zealand
Email: p.taylor@niwa.co.nz

Murphy’s mackerel was first identified from New Zealand waters in 1987. Before then it was thought to occur only off the Pacific coast of South America. It is now known to be synonymous with the North American species T. symmetricus, ranging from California to southern Chile, and across the south Pacific to New Zealand and Australia. The migration across the south Pacific and eventual invasion of New Zealand is linked to several El Niño events that played important roles in a biomass explosion of T. s. murphyi that began in the 1970s, and in providing appropriate oceanic habitat to support what was probably a large proportion of this biomass. I will discuss these events with reference to the somewhat extreme biology of this species, describe its entry into New Zealand waters, and summarise subsequent events in the context of the suitability of T. s. murphyi to the New Zealand habitat.

Room 1 Monday 2.40 pm