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‘Native’ cards
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Cardgames
Black flounder
Shortfin eel
Rhombosolea retiaria
Anguilla australis
They are oval fish that lie on their
left side and have both eyes on
the right side. They are the only
true freshwater flatfish species.
Little is known about this fish,
but it is likely that they migrate
to sea to spawn several hundred
thousand tiny eggs.
They are one of the three
Anguillidae species found in
New Zealand, but they are not
endemic. They are very tolerant
to environmental hazards like
high water temperatures or low
dissolved-oxygen concentrations.
They live in lowland lakes,
wetlands and streams.
Brown mudfish
Lamprey
Neochanna apoda
Geotria australis
There are five species of
mudfish and they are all
threatened. They look like
cigar-shaped, stocky eels with
slippery skin. Most mudfish
live in weedy drains, wetlands
and pools in swamp forest.
They grow to about 11�cm.
Juveniles are called
ammocoetes and live in burrows
in river edges and migrate out
to sea after 4–5 years. When at
sea, the lamprey are parasites on
marine life until, after another
4–5 years, they migrate back up
streams to breed and then die.
Instructions
How to make your set of
cards:
• Print 1 copy of the first four
A4 pages out on separate,
single pages (not doublesided).
• You will need to print
4 copies of the ‘Back page’.
• Glue or tape the pieces
of paper together so that
the arrows are pointing
upwards (each card will
have the same ‘Back page’).
• Cut along the dashed lines
so that you have a deck of
cards.
• You should have 2 sets of
the ‘native’ cards and 1
set of the ‘pest’ and ‘game
instructions’ cards.
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O playing ca
Want JUMB
ur cards out at
Try printing yo
A3 size!
NATIVE
Black flounder
NATIVE
Shortfin eel
Rhombosolea retiaria
Anguilla australis
They are oval fish that lie on their
left side and have both eyes on
the right side. They are the only
true freshwater flatfish species.
Little is known about this fish,
but it is likely that they migrate
to sea to spawn several hundred
thousand tiny eggs.
They are one of the three
Anguillidae species found in
New Zealand, but they are not
endemic. They are very tolerant
to environmental hazards like
high water temperatures or low
dissolved-oxygen concentrations.
They live in lowland lakes,
wetlands and streams.
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
Brown mudfish
Lamprey
Neochanna apoda
Geotria australis
There are five species of
mudfish and they are all
threatened. They look like
cigar-shaped, stocky eels with
slippery skin. Most mudfish
live in weedy drains, wetlands
and pools in swamp forest.
They grow to about 11�cm.
Juveniles are called
ammocoetes and live in burrows
in river edges and migrate out
to sea after 4–5 years. When at
sea, the lamprey are parasites on
marine life until, after another
4–5 years, they migrate back up
streams to breed and then die.
NATIVE
NATIVE
‘Native’ cards
Torrentfish
Common smelt
Anguilla reinhardtii
Galaxias maculatus
Inanga
Banded kōkopu
Galaxias fasciatus
Cheimarrichthys fosteri
Retropinna retropinna
The spotted eel is a long, tubular
fish with a small head. All large
spotted eels are females and may
reach 1.65�m and weigh up to 14�kg.
They are natural immigrants from
Australia and are located only on
the North Island.
Inanga that escape the whitebait
net grow into slender adults
(about 9�cm long). They spawn
in streamside grasses. They do
not climb waterfalls or swim up
steep gradients. They have gold
flecky skin but no scales and are
one of the five whitebait species.
The adults have lots of pale
stripes across the body and can
grow up to 26�cm long. They are
good climbers and make their
way upstream until they find
small forest streams with plenty
of cover and shade. They are
one of the five whitebait species.
This aptly named fish is found
amongst swift tumbling riffles
and is related to the blue cod.
The larvae get washed out to sea
and the juveniles return to fresh
water in spring and summer.
They are relatively common,
with adults growing to 10�cm.
Common smelt are small,
sparkling silver fish that spend
most of their lives at sea. Most
return as adults in summer
when they are about 10�cm
long. They have a distinct
cucumber-like odour.
Spotted eel
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
Giant kōkopu
Kōaro
NATIVE
Common bully
Longfin eel
Shortjawed kōkopu
Galaxias postvectis
Galaxias argenteus
Galaxias brevipinnis
Gobiomorphus cotidianus
These eels are called tuna in
Māori. Females live for up to
80 years and may reach up to
2�m and weigh 25�kg. Males
never grow bigger that 70�cm.
Females transform when ready
to migrate to the Tonga trench,
where they spawn and then die.
These fish are the kiwi of the
water—secretive, nocturnal
and threatened. They climb
up streams in search of shady
places with lots of cover such
as logs, large boulders and
undercut banks. They are one
of the five whitebait species.
The giant kōkopu is a threatened
native fish. It is secretive and
loves having plenty of cover to
hide under, such as overgrown
streams, swampy lagoons and
lake edges. They are one of the
five whitebait species and the
biggest of the Galaxiid species.
These fish are great climbers
and use their flattened fins
to scramble up waterfalls to
reach shady forest streams
abound with boulders. Kōaro
are one of the five whitebait
species.
Reaching 10�cm, these fish
are often seen darting in the
shallows during the day. The
male guards the nest, and
when the eggs hatch the larvae
go to sea but return to fresh
water after a few months.
Anguilla dieffenbachii
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
‘Native’ cards
Torrentfish
Common smelt
Anguilla reinhardtii
Galaxias maculatus
Inanga
Banded kōkopu
Galaxias fasciatus
Cheimarrichthys fosteri
Retropinna retropinna
The spotted eel is a long, tubular
fish with a small head. All large
spotted eels are females and may
reach 1.65�m and weigh up to 14�kg.
They are natural immigrants from
Australia and are located only on
the North Island.
Inanga that escape the whitebait
net grow into slender adults
(about 9�cm long). They spawn
in streamside grasses. They do
not climb waterfalls or swim up
steep gradients. They have gold
flecky skin but no scales and are
one of the five whitebait species.
The adults have lots of pale
stripes across the body and can
grow up to 26�cm long. They are
good climbers and make their
way upstream until they find
small forest streams with plenty
of cover and shade. They are
one of the five whitebait species.
This aptly named fish is found
amongst swift tumbling riffles
and is related to the blue cod.
The larvae get washed out to sea
and the juveniles return to fresh
water in spring and summer.
They are relatively common,
with adults growing to 10�cm.
Common smelt are small,
sparkling silver fish that spend
most of their lives at sea. Most
return as adults in summer
when they are about 10�cm
long. They have a distinct
cucumber-like odour.
Spotted eel
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
Giant kōkopu
Kōaro
NATIVE
Common bully
Longfin eel
Shortjawed kōkopu
Galaxias postvectis
Galaxias argenteus
Galaxias brevipinnis
Gobiomorphus cotidianus
These eels are called tuna in
Māori. Females live for up to
80 years and may reach up to
2�m and weigh 25�kg. Males
never grow bigger that 70�cm.
Females transform when ready
to migrate to the Tonga trench,
where they spawn and then die.
These fish are the kiwi of the
water—secretive, nocturnal
and threatened. They climb
up streams in search of shady
places with lots of cover such
as logs, large boulders and
undercut banks. They are one
of the five whitebait species.
The giant kōkopu is a threatened
native fish. It is secretive and
loves having plenty of cover to
hide under, such as overgrown
streams, swampy lagoons and
lake edges. They are one of the
five whitebait species and the
biggest of the Galaxiid species.
These fish are great climbers
and use their flattened fins
to scramble up waterfalls to
reach shady forest streams
abound with boulders. Kōaro
are one of the five whitebait
species.
Reaching 10�cm, these fish
are often seen darting in the
shallows during the day. The
male guards the nest, and
when the eggs hatch the larvae
go to sea but return to fresh
water after a few months.
Anguilla dieffenbachii
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
NATIVE
Game instructions and ‘Pest’ cards
This game
is brought to
you by...
This game came about from a
presentation from Room 10 of Hastings
Central School. The class had been
taking DOC’s Freshwater Education
Programme and as part of their learning
they had to come up with a ‘taking it
further’ action.
Room 10 impressed the course presenters
when they introduced them to a number
of different games they had come up
with to teach others about freshwater
ecosystems.
The course presenters thought the
idea was marvellous, and after a small
amount of input from them and help
from DOC’s Publishing Team, these
games are available to you.
We hope you enjoy the games and you
learn about New Zealand’s wonderful
freshwater ecosystems.
Catfish
Ameiurus nebulosus
Catfish are not native to New
Zealand. They prey on native
fish, fish eggs and freshwater
crayfish. They also stir up
sediment in the water.
PEST
Game 1: Pest and
Native Snap!
Game 1: Pest and
Native Snap!
Objective:
To collect all cards by properly
identifying matching pairs of native
freshwater fish or one pest fish.
How to play:
ĕǍ )4Ǎ+'4 -.Ǎ)Ǎ/& Ǎ+-/ď
ĕǍ 'Ǎ''Ǎ-.Ǎ! Ǎ*2)Ǎ/*Ǎ/# Ǎ
players. All players should receive an
equal number of cards.
ĕǍǍ# Ǎ+'4 -Ǎ2#*ğ.Ǎ$-/#4Ǎ$.Ǎ) 3/Ǎ
starts.
ĕǍ # ǍñǍ-./Ǎ+'4 -ǍôǍ$+.ǍǍ-Ǎ! Ǎ0+Ǎ
on the table.
ĕǍ # Ǎ) 3/Ǎ+'4 -ǍôǍ$+.ǍǍ-Ǎ*)Ǎ/*+Ǎ*!Ǎ
the first card. Other players continue
to do this taking turns.
ĕǍǍ!ǍǍ(/#$)"Ǎ+$-Ǎ*!Ǎ)/$1 ǍñǍ.#Ǎ$.Ǎ
seen, the first player to snap their
hand onto the pile and call out
‘native’ wins all the cards on the pile.
How to play continued:
ĕǍ Ǎ!Ǎ)4Ǎ+ ./Ǎİ%0./Ǎ*) Ǎ-ıǍ$.Ǎ. )ĐǍ
the first player to snap their hand
onto the pile and call out ‘pest’ wins
all cards in the pile.
ĕǍ # Ǎ+'4 -Ǎ2#*Ǎ2*)Ǎ/# Ǎ+$' Ǎ./-/.Ǎ
the next round and the game
continues.
ĕǍǍ# Ǎ+'4 -Ǎ2#*Ǎ*'' /.Ǎ''Ǎ/# Ǎ-.Ǎ
wins.
Pest
Native
Rudd
Gambusia
(mosquito fish)
Objective:
To get the most matching pairs of
cards.
How to play:
ĕǍǍ#$.Ǎ$.ǍǍ"( Ǎ!*-ǍýħÿǍ+'4 -.ď
ĕǍ & Ǎ/# ǍĞ ./Ǎ-.ğǍ*0/Ǎ*!Ǎ/# Ǎ
pack — this game is only played
with the ‘Native cards’.
ĕǍǍ+- Ǎ''Ǎ-.Ǎ! Ǎ*2)Ǎ*)Ǎ
the table.
ĕǍǍ# Ǎ+'4 -Ǎ2#*ğ.Ǎ$-/#4Ǎ$.Ǎ) 3/Ǎ
starts.
ĕǍǍ'$+ǍýǍ-.ďǍ!Ǎ4*0Ǎ" /ǍǍ
matching pair take them and
#1 Ǎ)*/# -Ǎ/0-)ďǍ!Ǎ4*0Ǎ$)ğ/Ǎ
" /ǍǍ+$-ĐǍôǍ$+Ǎ/# (Ǎ&Ǎ*1 -Ǎ
and let the other player have a
turn.
ĕǍǍ# Ǎ+ -.*)Ǎ2#*Ǎ" /.Ǎ/# Ǎ(*./Ǎ
matching pairs wins.
Koi carp
Gambusia affinis
Scardinius
erythrophthalmus
These fish were introduced to
New Zealand to eat
mosquitoes but they are now
a pest. They are an aggressive
fish that attacks native fish
and eggs.
Rudd are called ‘possums of
the waterways’. The adults love
eating native aquatic plants.
They destroy indigenous habitat,
remove food sources for native
fish and reduce water quality.
PEST
Game 2: Freshwater
Memory
PEST
Thanks
Thanks to the many people
and organisations that have
contributed photos for this game:
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council,
Helen Jonas, Tomas Castelazo,
Pat Sheridan, Hagen Klaile,
Garth Eyles, Al Brown, Hans
Rook, the Australian Museum,
Dan L Perlman EcoLibrary, Sonia
Frimmel, G.A. Eldon, Stephen
Moore, Nadine Bott, Philippe
Gerbeaux, Sjaan Charteris,
Theo Stephens, Peter Anderson,
Glenn Maclean, Ferne McKenzie,
Richard Gill.
Published by Publishing Team,
Department of Conservation,
Wellington, PO Box 10420
September 2011
Perch
Cyprinus carpio
Perca fluviatilis
Koi carp feed like a vacuum
cleaner, sucking up everything
and blowing out what they
don’t want. They cause habitat
loss for plants, native fish,
invertebrates and waterfowl.
Perch are hungry predators
preying on insects and small
fish. The adults lay lots of
eggs, so their population
grows very quickly.
PEST
PEST
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