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Story: Coastal fish

Kōheru

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Kōheru

Only found in northern New Zealand, the kōheru (Decapterus koheru) averages around 25–35 centimetres, and it may reach 40 centimetres long. It is less common than jack mackerel, which it closely resembles. Kōheru form large schools with fish of similar size. They feed on plankton.

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by Malcolm Francis

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Coastal fish – Plankton-feeding open-water fish, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8826/koheru (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.