Hapuku
Encyclopedia
The hāpuku, hapuka or whapuku, Polyprion oxygeneios, is a wreckfish
of the family
Polyprionidae, found around southern Australia
, Chile
, Tristan da Cunha
, and New Zealand
at depths of between 30 and 800 m. Its length is between 60 and 180 cm, and it can weigh up to 100 kg
.
running along their back, rounded anal fin and pectoral fin, and have a large powerful square shaped tail. Its lower jaw protrudes from the top, and has very large eyes which are adapted for hunting and inhabiting low light conditions.
and subtropical waters of the southern Indian Ocean
and Pacific Ocean
, being found in Chile
, south eastern Australia
and New Zealand
. They can be found in waters from anywhere between 10m – 800m, but generally prefer deeper waters greater than 50m. They are usually found living in cracks, caverns or caves when found in shallow waters. They are voracious predators feeding on a large range of other fish species, invertebrates and crustaceans, including red cod and blue cod
, hoki
, crabs and crayfish
.
between 10–13 years and have a life span of up to 60 years. They can grow as large as 100 kg, but are usually found around the 25 kg mark. They have an average size of 80–100 cm but can grow up to 180 cm in length.
. It is highly sought after but catches are relatively low, and is a species that is managed in the New Zealand Quota Management System
(QMS). There is currently no size restriction in New Zealand but there is a bag limit of 5 individuals per day.
. In Europe
, a very similar species of wreckfish
is highly prized and considered a local delicacy. Because of this, the Polyprion spp. have been overfished in most areas. Its premium market position, high value, and limited supply have created a lot of interest for this species in the aquaculture
sector. In New Zealand, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Sealord have embraced hāpuku as an opportunity for New Zealand
to expand and have identified markets for this species locally in New Zealand
and Australia
and internationally in Europe
and Asia
.
resource for hāpuku and these broodstocks are held in large spawning tanks at Bream Bay
Aquaculture Park. Each tank has its own controlled environment which is designed to maintain the optimum temperature and light for natural spawning
. NIWA have now progressed through every aspect of hatchery
technology development for hapuku. The complications that have been encountered in this process were similar to those of other commercialised finfish species such as halibut
, turbot
, sea bass
, and sea bream. These complications were overcome with specific solutions developed for the early rearing of hapuku. The main technical complications that have been overcome are:
• The system design for the successful incubation of egg and yolk-sac larvae
.
• Initiation of first feeding.
• The transition from live feed to formulated feeds to produce weaned juveniles ready for on-growing and transfer to sea cages.
Currently the sea cage trials and tank trials are base-lining the performance for hāpuku. These early on-growing trials and results are revealing that there is considerable growth potential in aquaculture for this species.
NIWA has been running a broodstock
selection programme (which has been running since 2007), and the results are showing which broodstock are producing the surviving first generation. With this information, it will soon be possible to start selecting desirable performance traits for the breeding programme. NIWA’s aim is to maintain the competitive edge for hāpuku farming as it increases, and become an important species for New Zealand’s aquaculture sector.
Wreckfish
The wreckfish are a family, Polyprionide, of perciform fishes.They are deep-water marine fishes and can be found on the ocean bottom, where they inhabit caves and shipwrecks . Their scientific name is from Greek poly meaning "many" and prion meaning "saw", a references to their prominent spiny fins...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Polyprionidae, found around southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at depths of between 30 and 800 m. Its length is between 60 and 180 cm, and it can weigh up to 100 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
.
Description
Hāpuku are grey in colour with a silvery white underbelly with juveniles generally being blue in colour. They have ten dorsal spinesFish anatomy
Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs more light than air does.- Body :...
running along their back, rounded anal fin and pectoral fin, and have a large powerful square shaped tail. Its lower jaw protrudes from the top, and has very large eyes which are adapted for hunting and inhabiting low light conditions.
Habitat and Feeding
Juveniles are thought to be pelagic, switching to demersal when they are approximately 50 cm in length. They inhabit temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
and subtropical waters of the southern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, being found in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, south eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. They can be found in waters from anywhere between 10m – 800m, but generally prefer deeper waters greater than 50m. They are usually found living in cracks, caverns or caves when found in shallow waters. They are voracious predators feeding on a large range of other fish species, invertebrates and crustaceans, including red cod and blue cod
Blue cod
Blue cod, Parapercis colias, is a temperate marine fish of the family Pinguipedidae. It is also known variously as Boston blue cod, New Zealand cod, sand perch or its Māori names rawaru and pakirikiri....
, hoki
Blue grenadier
The blue grenadier, hoki, blue hake, New Zealand whiptail, whiptail or whiptail hake, Macruronus novaezelandiae, is a merluccid hake of the family Merlucciidae found around southern Australia and New Zealand at depths of between . Its length is between...
, crabs and crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
.
Age and Growth
Hāpuku are a large, slow growing, long-lived species. They reach sexual maturitySexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
between 10–13 years and have a life span of up to 60 years. They can grow as large as 100 kg, but are usually found around the 25 kg mark. They have an average size of 80–100 cm but can grow up to 180 cm in length.
Food Quality
Hāpuku are a highly rated eating fish, reaching top dollar on both the local and international market. Chefs that have tasted farmed hāpuku have stated that it out performs wild-caught hāpuku.Value
In New Zealand for the year of 2008, hāpuku had a commercial value of NZ$37m with an export value of NZ$4.29m at a price of NZ$10.29 per kg. Hāpuku is a species that is fished both commercially and recreationally in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is highly sought after but catches are relatively low, and is a species that is managed in the New Zealand Quota Management System
Quota Management System
The Quota Management System is a type of individual fishing quota that is used in New Zealand to manage fish stocks.It is the first ever property-based fisheries management system to be implemented.-External links:* – The Quota Management System...
(QMS). There is currently no size restriction in New Zealand but there is a bag limit of 5 individuals per day.
Aquaculture
There has been significant interest globally for development of this species for aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, a very similar species of wreckfish
Wreckfish
The wreckfish are a family, Polyprionide, of perciform fishes.They are deep-water marine fishes and can be found on the ocean bottom, where they inhabit caves and shipwrecks . Their scientific name is from Greek poly meaning "many" and prion meaning "saw", a references to their prominent spiny fins...
is highly prized and considered a local delicacy. Because of this, the Polyprion spp. have been overfished in most areas. Its premium market position, high value, and limited supply have created a lot of interest for this species in the aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
sector. In New Zealand, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Sealord have embraced hāpuku as an opportunity for New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to expand and have identified markets for this species locally in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and internationally in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Research and Development for Aquaculture
Since 2003, NIWA has accumulated the world’s largest broodstockBroodstock
Broodstock, or broodfish, are a group of mature individuals used in aquaculture for breeding purposes. Broodstock can be a population of animals maintained in captivity as a source of replacement for, or enhancement of, seed and fry numbers. These are generally kept in ponds or tanks in which...
resource for hāpuku and these broodstocks are held in large spawning tanks at Bream Bay
Bream Bay
Bream Bay is a locality and bay on the east coast of New Zealand. Captain James Cook named this area to the bay itself, but also the some surrounding locations, stretching north to Whangarei and southbound touching Mangawhai....
Aquaculture Park. Each tank has its own controlled environment which is designed to maintain the optimum temperature and light for natural spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
. NIWA have now progressed through every aspect of hatchery
Fish hatchery
A fish hatchery is a "place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in particular". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
technology development for hapuku. The complications that have been encountered in this process were similar to those of other commercialised finfish species such as halibut
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
, turbot
Turbot
The turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...
, sea bass
Sea bass
-Family Serranidae:* Barred sand bass , lives mainly off the coast of California* Black sea bass , whose range is the eastern coast of the United States...
, and sea bream. These complications were overcome with specific solutions developed for the early rearing of hapuku. The main technical complications that have been overcome are:
• The system design for the successful incubation of egg and yolk-sac larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
.
• Initiation of first feeding.
• The transition from live feed to formulated feeds to produce weaned juveniles ready for on-growing and transfer to sea cages.
Currently the sea cage trials and tank trials are base-lining the performance for hāpuku. These early on-growing trials and results are revealing that there is considerable growth potential in aquaculture for this species.
NIWA has been running a broodstock
Broodstock
Broodstock, or broodfish, are a group of mature individuals used in aquaculture for breeding purposes. Broodstock can be a population of animals maintained in captivity as a source of replacement for, or enhancement of, seed and fry numbers. These are generally kept in ponds or tanks in which...
selection programme (which has been running since 2007), and the results are showing which broodstock are producing the surviving first generation. With this information, it will soon be possible to start selecting desirable performance traits for the breeding programme. NIWA’s aim is to maintain the competitive edge for hāpuku farming as it increases, and become an important species for New Zealand’s aquaculture sector.