Species you're likely to catch aboard the Black Pearl
These are just some of the fish we’re able to target in the area.
Gurnard
The red gurnard looks quite unlike other fishes. The eyes are set high on the large head, the mouth has only small fine teeth, and the body is long, tapering towards the tail. Most notable of all the red gurnard has a bright orange body colouring and distinctive large pectoral fins often called “wings”. These being blue green in colour with a blue fringe, together with a large dark spot within which are smaller white spots.
Gurnard are great fun to catch and their main attraction for anglers is that they are very good eating. Gurnard are one of the best eating fish with firm pink flesh.
Snapper
Snapper is one of New Zealand’s most popular sport and table fish. Snapper are found consistently around the entire North Island. Further south, they occur mostly around the upper third of the South Island, straying further south in summer. Snapper are renowned for their brilliant eating quality and are regarded as one of the best eating fish in New Zealand. They have soft white meat and quite a few bones. Fillets can normally be quite chunky (if filleted correctly) and their flesh is delicate in flavour and texture.
Tarakihi
Tarakihi are schooling fish usually associated with areas of reef and other structure, though they also feed over sand and mud. They are most often caught in clear patches adjacent to foul and reef in water up to 100m-deep. Tarakihi’s versatile, delicious white flesh goes with anything from a strongly sauced or curried dish, to a delicate fillet, to a fish pie or baked delight.
