They are rare and endangered, tiny, slimy and NorthTec student Nina Pivac regularly gets down and dirty to take a close look at them.
"They" are black mudfish, of the freshwater fish species galaxiids, and one of the few places they inhabit in Northland is the Hikurangi Swamp, particularly the Wairua Reserve area which is "a hotspot" for them, Ms Pivac said.
The third year Bachelor of Applied Science student, majoring in biodiversity management, is possibly the only person in New Zealand studying black mudfish and their environment.
"No one really cares about mudfish . . . yet," Ms Pivac said.
She hopes her research will cast light on the "discreet fish" and threats to its existence.