The Blue Maomao is a pretty little schooling fish that stay close to the shore, often seen in
large schools of around a hundred or more. They are found in small groups
down the lower half of the North island and quite abundently in the Northern
half especially the top part.
The very young fish are found hiding behind rocks and in crevices in shallower water.
They like slight tidal currents and will be seen in clear water off exposed headlands and offshore islands in water upto 30 metres deep.
The blue maomao grows up to 40 cm and weigh about 3 kg or around 6 or 7 lbs.
The young maomao are not blue like their adult counterparts, they are more a grey colour with a yellowish tail. Mature adults are a bright blue colour all over and slightly whitish on the very bottom. They have a few very small spiny dorsal fins and are coverd in minute scales.
They are flattend on their sides and they have a forked tail. Both the male and female are identical to look at.
Blue maomao spawn around September November and juveniles are found around October to December. Their eggs are only 0.8mm in diameter.
It has a small head and small mouth and I beleive they eat plankton however in saying this they will nibble a bait on a hook intended for a larger fish.
I have dived among them often off Kawau Island, Great Barrier Island, off Whangarei Heads and over at the Poor Knights Island group.