When Taranaki fisherman Henry Brennan went to check his cray pots in Opunake last week, he was surprised to find a species of fish he had never seen before.
Henry caught a crested weedfish, the first time the species has been recorded on New Zealand's west coast.
"When I went to check the cray pots, I saw the fish. I had no idea what it was so I sent a picture to NIWA to see if they could identify it."
NIWA is the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. They conduct research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences.
"If I'm ever unsure, I send a photo so they can identify it for me," Henry says. "It's great that the opportunity is available to have species identified."