Leatherjacket
Leatherjacket is a reef fish found right around coastal New Zealand, from North Cape to the Chatham Islands. It's not a primary target species, but rock and wharf anglers pick them up regularly while fishing for other species.
The firm, very white flesh — sold commercially as 'creamfish' — makes them worth keeping when they show up.
Scientific Name: Meuschenia scaber
Also known as Creamfish, kōkiri, cream fish
- Greenish-grey body, often mottled with large dark blotches; 2–3 dark diagonal bars radiate forward from the eye to the underside of the head.
- Males tend toward uniform colouring with a yellow tail and a thin blackish bar near the tail's hind margin; females and juveniles are more strongly mottled.
- Distinctive bright orange fins and a dark blue gill slit; the first dorsal fin is modified into a folding, retractable spike.
- Skin is tough and sandpaper-rough — hence the name. Typical size is 25–31 cm and 200–500 g; maximum around 32 cm.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to New Zealand; found coastally from North Cape south to the Chatham and Kermadec Islands, all around both main islands.
- Primarily a rocky, weed-covered reef fish — macroalgae-draped reefs are the core habitat. Juveniles occasionally move into bays and estuaries.
- Depth range is broad: shallow coastal reefs down to around 100 m, with some individuals taken deeper in open-sea areas.
- Reproductive studies have been conducted in the Hauraki Gulf, indicating a well-established population in northern inshore waters.
Key Locations
- Hauraki Gulf — well-documented population; subject of reproductive biology research and accessible to Auckland-based anglers from shore and boat.
- Rocky coastlines throughout Northland — northern waters hold strong populations and the species is commonly encountered while fishing reef structure.
- All around both main islands wherever rocky, weedy reef exists — this is a coast-wide species rather than a regionally concentrated one.
- Poor Knights Islands — leatherjackets have been photographed and recorded at this well-known northern reef system.
Specific Spots
- Rocky reef edges with kelp and weed cover — leatherjackets graze the invertebrates living on and among the algae, so fish the weed-rock interface.
- Wharf and jetty piles, where barnacles, sea squirts, and sponges accumulate — exactly the slow-moving prey leatherjackets feed on.
- Shallow reef flats down to about 20 m are productive from shore or a small boat; deeper structure (to 80 m+) holds fish targeted by commercial trawlers.
Leatherjacket FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Leatherjacket?
Small pieces of shellfish, mussel, pipi, or tuatua, are reliable baits. Keep pieces tiny to match the small mouth; a hook buried in a large bait will be missed entirely. Small soft-baits will attract leatherjackets but expect nipping rather than clean takes.
When is the best time to fish for Leatherjacket?
Available year-round in inshore coastal waters, no strong seasonal absence from the fishery. Juveniles move into bays and shallower estuarine areas during warmer months (summer–autumn), making them more accessible to shore-based anglers at those times.
How do you catch Leatherjacket?
Most leatherjackets are caught incidentally by rock and wharf anglers fishing small baits near reef structure. Deliberate targeting means fishing tiny shellfish baits on small long-shank hooks as close to weed-covered rock as possible, with minimal weight to avoid constant snags.
What do Leatherjacket eat?
Feeds mainly on sessile and slow-moving reef invertebrates, sponges, sea squirts, and barnacles, which their small, tough mouths are built to pick at. Match this with very small pieces of shellfish, mussel, or pipi on a tiny hook. Also feeds on zooplankton above the bottom at times.
Where do Leatherjacket live?
Native to New Zealand; found coastally from North Cape south to the Chatham and Kermadec Islands, all around both main islands. Primarily a rocky, weed-covered reef fish, macroalgae-draped reefs are the core habitat. Juveniles occasionally move into bays and estuaries.
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