Banded Kokopu

Habitat Distribution

• Endemic to New Zealand only — found on the North and South Islands, Stewart Island/Rakiura, and the Chatham Islands/Rēkohu.
• Primarily a coastal species; adults don't push far inland, though good climbers can reach up to 550 m above sea level where passage is open.
• Absent from most eastern regions of both islands, where higher sediment loads from rural land use or glacial meltwater make streams unsuitable.
• Diadromous — juveniles migrate in from the sea each spring, and the species depends on open passage between streams and coast; dams block this movement.

Key Locations

• West Coast streams of both islands — the wetter, more forested western catchments hold the strongest adult populations.
• Stewart Island/Rakiura — confirmed presence in suitable small-stream habitat.
• Chatham Islands/Rēkohu — one of the few offshore island groups where the species occurs.
• Hakarimata Range streams (Waikato) — documented habitat use by adults in research on small Waikato-region tributaries.
• Coromandel Peninsula streams — studied for adult growth, diet, and movement in multiple Coromandel catchments.

Specific Spots

• Deep pools in very small, heavily shaded tributaries — overhead canopy (native or exotic) is the key habitat feature, not the tree species itself.
• Undercut banks, large boulders, and woody debris within those pools provide the daytime cover adults rely on; without instream structure, the pool won't hold fish.
• Clear water is non-negotiable — turbid reaches simply don't hold them, so focus on streams with minimal agricultural runoff or disturbance upstream.