Identification Guides

Download the interactive identification guides and help us by reporting any suspect marine animals or plants. Call the Exotic Disease and Pest Hotline (0800 80 99 66). It is free to call within NZ and open 24/7.

NZ Marine Pest ID Guide

The NZ Marine Pest Identification Guide contains information on 11 marine pest species that we don't want in New Zealand.

Download a copy [PDF, 1.5MB]

Other useful resources

NIWA has also developed a series of electronic identification guides for a variety of native and non-native marine animals and plants. Click on the tiles below to download the individual guides for free.

IDGuideFrontPage

Awesome Ascidians v2 tn

Awesome ascidians (seasquirts)

An interactive guide to the sea squirts (ascidians) of New Zealand's coastal waters.

[PDF, 10.2 MB]

Coastal crabs

Coastal crabs

An interactive guide to the common coastal crabs of New Zealand.

[PDF, 10 MB]

JFG2751

Extraordinary echinoderms

An interactive guide to the sea stars, brittle stars, feather stars, sea eggs, and sea cucumbers (echinoderms) of New Zealand.

[PDF, 13.5 MB]

Crispin20IMG 353920Dendrilla20rosea

Splendid sponges

An interactive guide to the sponges of New Zealand.

[PDF, 28 MB]

Bountiful Bryozoans Front cover NIWA tn

Bountiful bryozoans

An interactive guide to the bryozoans of New Zealand.

[PDF, 11 MB]

Beautiful Browns Cover tn 0

Beautiful browns

An interactive guide to the large brown seaweeds of New Zealand.

[PDF, 7.8 MB]

d. vexillum in tarakohoe

Ascidians (seasquirts) of NZ ports and harbours

An interactive guide to the sea squirts (ascidians) of New Zealand's ports and harbours.

[PDF, 6.7MB]

Splendid sponges

Splendid sponges (Intertidal)

An interactive guide to the intertidal sponges of New Zealand

[PDF, 10MB]

Corynactis australis Woods 1

Adorable anemones

An interactive guide to the shallow water anemones of New Zealand

[PDF 17.4 MB]