Overview
Fishes are by far the most species-rich, diverse and abundant vertebrates on our planet, with over 30,000 species known belonging to 538 families and 63 orders. Fishy forms range from lancelets, hagfishes, lampreys, sharks, rays and ghostsharks to a vast variety of bony fishes.
Te Papa’s Fish Team is responsible for collection, identification, registration, management, curation and researching the National Fish Collection (NFC) for the nation.