Blue Moki

How to identify blue moki

Blue moki are deep-bodied, blue-grey and silver fish, often with shades of brown and one or two large brownish blotches below the dorsal fins. The mouth is small with thick lips and small teeth. Unlike tarakihi and pōrae, they have no lengthened pectoral fin ray. They belong to the trumpeter family but lack the trumpeter's dark lengthwise stripes.

Where it lives in New Zealand

Blue moki are most common from the Bay of Plenty south, around rocky reefs, kelp and the sand or mud next to them. Juveniles live on shallow reefs. Most adults school offshore over open bottom down to about 150 m, though some stay on reefs. Many adults migrate north from Kaikōura in April and May to spawn between Mahia and East Cape in August and September, then return south.

How to catch it

Blue moki feed on crabs, shellfish and worms sucked from the seabed, so shellfish and crustacean baits work best. Crayfish pieces, mussels, tuatua and crabs are good choices, kept small and tied on with bait elastic. Use 3/0 to 5/0 hooks near rock and kelp, from the beach, rocks or a boat. They bite best at change of light and after dark. Spearfishers and set netters also take them.

Eating

Blue moki has firm pink flesh with fine dark veins and some fat close to the skin. The flesh holds its shape when cooked, so suits chowders, curries, casseroles, baking, steaming, poaching and pan-frying. It also smokes well and makes good fish tacos or goujons.

Recipes

• Moki goujon tacos (Seafood New Zealand)

Good to know

Blue moki is managed under the Quota Management System. It matures at about 40 cm and 5 to 6 years old, and fish over 80 cm and 43 years old have been recorded. The only known spawning ground is between Mahia Peninsula and East Cape.

Questions

Is blue moki good to eat?

Yes. Blue moki has firm pink flesh with fine dark veins and some fat close to the skin. It holds its shape when cooked, so suits chowders, curries, casseroles, baking and pan-frying. It also smokes well and makes good fish tacos or goujons.

What is the best bait for blue moki?

Shellfish and crustacean baits. Blue moki suck crabs, shellfish and worms from the seabed, so crayfish pieces, mussels, tuatua and crabs work well. Keep baits small, tie them on with bait elastic and fish near rock and kelp, especially at change of light and after dark.

How do you tell blue moki from tarakihi?

Check the head and pectoral fin. Tarakihi have a black band behind the head and one long pectoral fin ray, which blue moki lack. Blue moki are blue-grey and silver, often with one or two large brownish blotches below the dorsal fins, and have a small, thick-lipped mouth.