ARRIVAL OF AN AUSTRALIAN ANGUILLID EEL IN NEW-ZEALAND - AN EXAMPLE OFTRANSOCEANIC DISPERSAL

Anguilla reinhardtii, hitherto known from eastern Australia, New Caled onia, Norfolk Island, and Lord Howe Island, has recently been discover ed in rivers of northern New Zealand. Identification, based on morphol ogical and genetic characteristics, is unequivocal; eight consecutive year classes have been found. The only reasonable explanation of this occurrence is transoceanic dispersal to New Zealand, probably from sub tropical oceanic spawning grounds north of New Zealand. This corrobora tes past hypotheses that the strongly diadromous freshwater fish fauna of New Zealand is derived by transoceanic dispersal of known marine l ife intervals.