Stargazer

How to identify stargazer

A heavy, flattened fish with a broad, bony head and a large, almost vertical mouth. The eyes sit on top of the head and point upwards, which gives the stargazer its name. There are several prominent spines around the head. The back is mottled olive-green, grey or brown and speckled, the underside is white, and there are no scales. NZ monkfish is not related to the anglerfish sold as monkfish in the Northern Hemisphere. Te Aka Māori Dictionary records kourepoua and moamoa for both the giant stargazer and its smaller relative, the spotted stargazer; pūwhara is the giant stargazer only.

Where it lives in New Zealand

Giant stargazer are endemic to New Zealand and found on the continental shelf throughout the country. They are most plentiful around the South Island and on the Chatham Rise. They live on sandy and muddy seabeds, usually at 50 to 300 m but from shallow coastal water to more than 500 m. Stargazers bury themselves in the sediment with only the eyes showing and ambush passing fish and crustaceans.

How to catch it

Almost all stargazer are caught commercially by bottom trawl, mainly around the South Island. Recreational catches are very small: national surveys have recorded only a few fishers catching them, and none in 2022 to 2023. Anglers occasionally hook one when bottom fishing with bait over sand or mud.

Eating

Stargazer has firm, pearly white flesh with a low oil content that holds together well when cooked. It suits baking, barbecuing, poaching, steaming, frying, soups and curries, and can be eaten as sashimi. When cooked the texture is sometimes compared to crayfish.

Recipes

• Coconut monkfish curry (Seafood New Zealand)
• Zak and Tamar's Sri Lankan Stargazer Curry (Seafood New Zealand)

Good to know

Endemic to New Zealand and managed under the Quota Management System. Giant stargazer mature at about 40 to 55 cm total length and 5 to 7 years of age, and some live to at least 25 years. They spawn in winter.

Questions

Is stargazer the same as monkfish?

Yes, in New Zealand. Monkfish is a common name for the giant stargazer here. It is not related to the anglerfish sold as monkfish in the Northern Hemisphere, so overseas recipes for monkfish refer to a different fish.

Why is it called a stargazer?

Because its eyes sit on top of the head and point upwards. The stargazer buries itself in sand or mud with only the eyes showing, then ambushes fish and crustaceans that pass by.

Is stargazer good eating?

Yes. Stargazer has firm, pearly white flesh with a low oil content that holds together when cooked. It suits baking, steaming, frying, soups and curries, and can be eaten as sashimi. The cooked texture is sometimes compared to crayfish.