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Story: Wetlands

Brown mudfish

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Brown mudfish

Mudfish are specially adapted to live in wetlands. They can burrow into damp mud and survive for some months if their swampy pools dry out. Brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda) are found in swamps, muddy creeks, wetlands and drains of the southern North Island and the West Coast of the South Island. They eat aquatic insects and crustaceans, and grow to about 15 centimetres long.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10049718

by Stephen Moore

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How to cite this page

Peter Johnson, Wetlands – Wetland wildlife, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14351/brown-mudfish (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Peter Johnson, published 1 March 2009.