Tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus)

Scientific name: Nemadactylus macropterus Forster, 1801

The Tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus) is a marine fish of the family Cheilodactylidae.

Biology

Adults demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope to depths of 450 m. Juveniles tend to live near shallow reefs. Postlarvae inhabit offshore waters and are found in surface waters at night. Average weight is 1800 g. Feed on polychaete worms, crustaceans, mollusks and echinoderms. Flesh is quite good eating. Often sold as tiki fillets.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Nemadactylus macropterus
Family: Cheilodactylidae (Morwongs)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 70.0
Common length: 35.0
Depth range: 22–450 m (72–1476 ft)
Environment: Marine; demersal; depth range 22 - 450 m, usually 100 - 250 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands in the Indian Ocean, southern Australia, including Tasmania, and New Zealand. Southwest Atlantic: southern South America.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.1-0.28; tm=3-6; Fec=100,000; tmax=50)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026