Galaxias maculatus dominated the whitebait catch in 11 of the 12 Bay of Plenty rivers studied. In four rivers, this species accounted for 84–99% of the catch. However, in seven other rivers, G. maculatus accounted for only 52–70% of the catch, and major (>18%) contributions were made by either Galaxias brevipinnis or Galaxias fasciatus . hi the twelfth river, the Motu River, G. brevipinnis dominated the catch, accounting for over 70% of whitebait caught. This is the first report of a river‐mouth whitebait fishery dominated by G. brevipinnis . Rivers where G. brevipinnis contributed more than 18% of the catch were all within a 70 km radius west of the Motu River mouth. In rivers beyond this limit, G. brevipinnis was less than 2% of the catch. Such differences in species composition may result from river‐mouth selection by migratory juveniles of G. brevipinnis .
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Rowe et al. (1992) studied this question.