topic+term+1



PEPEHA

Acknowledging the people still to come


The Banded Kokopu

This is my report on the Banded Kokopu, the Banded Kokopu is native new zealand fish. The Banded kokopu is small fish and is in the white bait family. This report will include it’s eating habits, it’s life cycle, it’s habitat and more.

The Banded Kokopu have pale blue lines and seven fins, they usually grow to a length of two hundred to three hundred millimeters. The Banded Kokopu have large fleshy lips and are very territorial and don’t live in groups.

The Banded Kokopu is an omnivore they eat algae and hanging bush, the bush doesn’t have to be native as long as it provides shade. The Banded Kokopu mainly eats invertebrates such as mayflies and cased caddisflies. They also eat unlucky wetas that fall out of trees, small insects, spiders and koura (fresh water crayfish).

In a Autumn flood when the streams over flood and and flood the forest floor, the adult Banded Kokopu lays their eggs on the forest floor, soon after they hatch into larvae. Once the Autumn rain has stopped the larvae get flushed down the streams and into the sea. Then the larvae gradually grow into white bait and start to swim into the estuary, once the white bait are in the estuary they wait until they are fully grown adults until they can swim up stream to the pools of the rivers or streams.

The Banded Kokopu is a native fish so there for they live in New Zealand and the Chathman and Stuart Islands. The Banded Kokopu are not very fussy and don’t refuse to live in pine plantations and urban areas, the Banded Kokopu need shade as well as shelter through out the habitats.

The Banded Kokopu breathe by swallowing water and then they pump it over their gills. The gills take oxygen from the water before it is pumped out of their body. So if we don’t act now we will loose these great native New Zealand fish, and future generations will miss out on what we have seen and experienced.

By Jack Stevens



** ==**On this unit when we went to Mt Holdsworth and to the Papawai stream I learnt that New Zealand is running alot of risks with our water ways and if we don't act fast future generations my not even have the luxury of going and swimming in any rivers or streams. I have also learnt that most of our native insects, fish and other wild life have moved from local water ways to reserves because the water clearity and health is very poor. I have also noticed that since the english and other ethnic groups have settled into New Zealand we have turned most of New Zealand into a less healthier environment. **==
 *  This term we have been learning about agriculture and how over the years we have been treating our water ways very poorly, and how we need to fix things and prevent pollution. We have been learning this through other ways as well like the arts (dance,drama & music). This term we have produced a production on water ways and whats happening to them, we are doing this because we need sponsors to help us redesign our creek. We also drew on recycable bags for compitition hostedby meridean energy.