Warmer months bring an unwelcome visitor to parts of Northland and Auckland. Here's how to recognise it, and what to do if you spot it somewhere new.
Eudistoma has a distinctly unpleasant look, resembling a slimy, snot-like growth that can form large colonies across rocks, aquaculture equipment, and marine structures. Its free-swimming larval stage allows it to spread far and wide. It dies back over winter, but through the warmer months it takes over available surfaces, leaving no room for native species and changing the appearance of our coastal environments.
Eudistoma // Photo credit: Sam Happy
At the time of publishing, this species has been confirmed at the following locations across Northland and Auckland. If you encounter it anywhere outside these areas, please report it.
Parengarenga Harbour, Rangaunu Harbour, Mangonui Harbour, Whangape Harbour, Whangārei Harbour, Whangateau Harbour, Sandspit, Kawau Island, Mahurangi Harbour, Waitematā Harbour, and the wider Hauraki Gulf.
This list is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing. For a full list of marine pest locations, please refer to the Marine Biosecurity Porthole.
