Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland

Full text

Intertidal Life of the
Tamaki Estuary and its
Entrance, Auckland
July 2005 TP373
Auckland Regional Council
Technical Publication No. 373, 2008
ISSN 1175-205X(Print)
ISSN 1178-6493 (Online)
ISBN 978-1-877483-47-9

Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary
and its Entrance, Auckland
Bruce W. Hayward
1
Margaret S. Morley
1,2
1
Geomarine Research, 49 Swainston Rd, St Johns, Auckland
2
c/o Auckland War Memorial Museum, Private Bag 92 018, Auckland
Prepared for
Auckland Regional Council
Envrionmental Research
2005
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Auckland Regional Council
Recommended Citation:
Hayward, B. W; Morley, M.S (2005). Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its
entrance, Auckland. Prepared for Auckland Regional Council. Auckland Regional
Council Technical Publication Number 373. 72p
Approved for ARC publication by:
_____________________________
Grant Barnes
21 July 2008

Contents
1
Executive Summary 1
2 Introduction 3
2.1 Study Area 3
2.2 Rock Types Along the Shore 6
2.3 Origin and Shape of the Tamaki Estuary 6
2.4 Previous Work 7
2.4.1 Ecological Surveys 7
2.4.2 Introduced Species 7
2.4.3 Environmental Pollution 8
2.4.4 Geology 9
2.5 Tamaki Estuary Steering Committee 9
3 Methodology 10
3.1 Survey Methodology 10
3.2 Biodiversity and Specimens 10
4 Intertidal Habitats and Communities 11
4.1 Salt Marsh and Salt Meadow 11
4.2 Mangrove Forest 11
4.3 Seagrass Meadows 12
4.4 Sublittoral Seaweed Fringe 12
4.5 Estuarine Mud 12
4.6 Shelly Sand Flats 12
4.7 Shell Banks and Spits 13
4.8 Rocky Shores Around the Tamaki Estuary Entrance 13
4.9 Rock Retaining Walls 14
4.10 Microfauna of Seaweeds 15
4.11 Microfauna Beneath Low Tide Rocks 15
4.12 Fauna of Oyster Clumps 15
4.13 Subtidal Washup 15
5 Geographic Distribution Patterns 17
5.1 Cluster Analysis Methodology 17
5.2 Cluster Analysis Results 19

5.2.1 Outer Estuary Region 21
5.2.2 Middle Estuary Region 21
5.2.3 Inner Estuary Region 21
5.3 Species Diversity Patterns 21
5.4 Geographic Distribution of Species Around the Tamaki Estuary 24
6 Noteworthy Occurrences 33
6.1 Chitons (Fig. 14): 33
6.2 Snails (Fig. 14): 33
6.3 Sea slugs, nudibranchs (Fig. 15): 36
6.4 Bivalves (Fig. 14): 38
6.5 Echinoderms (Fig. 16): 38
6.6 Coral (Fig. 16): 38
6.7 Tubeworms (Fig. 16): 38
6.8 Sea squirt (Fig. 16): 39
6.9 Seaweeds (Fig. 16): 39
7 Human-Related Biotic and Other Changes 41
7.1 Introduced Species 41
7.2 TBT Impacted Species 45
7.3 Seagrass Disappearance and Return 45
7.4 Decline in Mollusc Size 45
7.5 Other “Vanished” Species 46
7.6 Mangrove Forest Expansion 47
7.7 Mud Accumulation 47
8 References 48
9 Appendices 53
9.1 Appendix 1 – Field Surveys 53
9.2 Appendix 2 – Recent Scientific Name Changes 54
9.3 Appendix 3 – Species List 56
9.4 Appendix 4 – Number of Species in Different Taxonmic Groups 71
9.5 Appendix 5 – Intertidal and Subtidal Biota and Habitats of the Tamaki Estuary 72
Peer Reviewed by: Megan Stewart
19 July 2008

TP373 :Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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1 Executive Summary
This report includes general descriptive accounts and illustrations of the various
intertidal communities in Tamaki Estuary, written to accompany a coloured map
which shows their distribution (A3 map in Appendix 5). Mapping of the
intertidal shore of Tamaki Estuary is based on a combination of its substrate
(e.g. basalt, tuff, sandstone, peat, stable cobbles, sand, mud), vegetation (e.g.
salt marsh, mangrove forest, sea grass, sublittoral fringe seaweeds), and
dominant soft-shore animals (e.g. mud snails, horn shells, cockles, pipi, Asian
date mussels).
Five hundred and eight species of plants and animals (390 living, 113 dead or
washed up from offshore, mostly shells) are recorded from the intertidal zone
of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland (from St Heliers to Eastern
Beach). This total includes: 119 species of gastropods, 72 bivalves, 57
seaweeds, 42 polychaete worms, 36 foraminifera, 27 crabs, 24 salt marsh
plants, 16 fish, 15 intertidal feeding birds, 12 sponges, 11 echinoderms, 10 sea
squirts, 9 chitons, 8 amphipods, 8 sea anemones, 7 barnacles, and 6 shrimps.
Total species numbers are under-reported for some groups that have not been
studied in detail, such as polychaetes, small crustaceans and bryozoans.
Noteworthy records include 12 colourful species of sea slugs around the
entrance of the Tamaki Estuary; live specimens of the southern blue mussel,
Mytilus galloprovincialis
; the largest known colonies around Auckland of the
estuarine flea mussel,
Xenostrobus securis
; several live colonies at low tide of
the encrusting coral
Culicia rubeola
; and several specimens of the relatively rare
chiton,
Pseudotonicia cuneata
.
Multivariate analysis of our survey data (presence/absence; qualitative
abundance estimates) on the distribution of organisms around the entire
Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, identifies three distinct biotic regions – outer
estuary, middle estuary and upper estuary with boundaries identified as Tahuna
Torea-Half Moon Bay, and Panmure Bridge. The outer estuary region has 120-
160 live species, reducing to 50-100 in the middle estuary and 30-50 in the
upper estuary. The highest recorded biodiversity occurs along the coastline
from Bucklands Beach to Musick Point, with its relatively high diversity of soft
and hard shore habitats available.
While they are difficult to quantify, some impacts of human activities that are
recognisable include:
a. The disappearance, or greatly reduced abundance, of arabic volutes,
southern olive shells, oyster borers, and octagonal murex, are attributed
primarily to the impact of TBT poisoning, before this type of anti-fouling paint
was banned.
b. The introduction by shipping of at least 16 exotic species that now
live in the Tamaki Estuary, with four new arrivals in the last decade –
parchment worm, large Japanese swimming crab, Australian bridled goby, and
spiny sea squirt.

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c. One of the introduced species having the largest impact is the Pacific
oyster,
Crassostrea gigas
, which reached Tamaki Estuary in 1992 and now
covers large areas of previously clear sandstone reef and in places forms
growing patches of sharp oysters attached to shells or pebbles on the intertidal
flats.
d. Another high-impact introduced species in the Tamaki Estuary is the
Asian date mussel,
Musculista senhousia
, which arrived in the 1980s and now
forms large, transient, low tidal mounds scattered through many parts.
e. Many shelled molluscs now living in the Tamaki Estuary are smaller
than what they were in the past and smaller than their counterparts outside the
estuary.
f. Sea grass,
Zostera
, disappeared from the Waitemata and Tamaki
Estuary in the 1950s and 1960s, but is now making a comeback around the
entrance to the estuary.
g. Increased mud from subdivisions has buried formerly sandy, shelly
and more rocky shores in the middle reaches of Tamaki Estuary over the last 50
years or so.
h. Increased freshwater runoff from impervious surfaces in suburbia
have decreased salinity in the estuary and altered the biotic community and
decreased its diversity in upper parts of the estuary.
i. Areas of mangrove forest are expanding around the upper reaches
and fringes of the estuary.

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2 Introduction
2.1 Study Area
The coastal study area reported on here consists of over 50 km of coastline extending
right around the Tamaki Estuary and outside its mouth from St Heliers in the west to
Eastern Beach in the east. The area studied and mapped covers the full width of the
intertidal zone from extreme low water spring level up to extreme high water (extreme
tidal range c. 3.5 m) and the splash zone above.
The upper reach of Tamaki Estuary has four main arms – Otahuhu, Middlemore, Otara,
and Pakuranga Creek. The shores of all four are dominated by mangrove forest with
mud-lined channels. The middle reaches of the estuary are a mix of tidal mud flats,
patchy marginal strips of mangroves, mud-covered low-lying shore platforms, and sandy,
high-tidal beaches. In the outer reaches of the estuary, the tidal flats are sandier and
shellier, the shore platforms have less mud cover, and tidal shell spits and banks are
more prevalent.
Around and outside the Tamaki Estuary mouth the shore is dominantly rocky cliffs and
platforms interspersed with sand beaches and occasional stable cobble beaches.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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Figure 1
Location of Tamaki Estuary study area at the eastern end of the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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Figure 2
Tamaki Estuary and location of place names used in the text.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
6
2.2 Rock Types Along the Shore
The hardest natural rocky shores in the Tamaki Estuary are made of black basalt lava flow
that surrounds the Panama Rd peninsula on the perimeter of McLennan Hills small shield
volcano. Waitemata Sandstone shores are largely limited to the outer half and outside of
Tamaki Estuary (north of Pt England and Wakaaranga Creek) where they are the
dominant rocky shore type. Within the Waitemata Sandstone Formation, beds of
massive Parnell Grit are slightly more resistant to erosion and form the reefs off Achilles
Pt, West Tamaki Head, on the east side of Musick Pt, and also forming a tidal waterfall in
Pakuranga Creek.
The next hardest rock type is the bedded tuff (volcanic ash) from Panmure Basin and
Waiouru volcanoes that form tidal reefs and low cliffs around much of the basin, its
entrance, and for a short distance either side of the entrance, and also on the north side
of the entrance to Otara Creek.
In the middle parts of the Tamaki Estuary, low-lying tidal platforms and sometimes cliffs
are composed of light-coloured Pleistocene rhyolitic tuff, or ignimbrite, which in some
places is interbedded with black, wood-bearing peat. A small outcrop of cemented
Holocene tuffaceous beach rock occurs at the north end of Bucklands Beach.
2.3 Origin and Shape of the Tamaki Estuary
The Tamaki Estuary is a flooded river valley system. Its many branches reflect the
branching drainage pattern prior to flooding. The orientation of many of the branches in
the middle and upper parts of the estuary (from Pakuranga Creek up) suggest that the
drainage pattern was formed by a river system that flowed southwards into the Manukau
Harbour. This drainage system was eroded into a sequence of soft peat, rhyolite ash and
ignimbrite layers that filled an earlier depression about 1 million years ago (Alloway et al.,
2004). This south-flowing river system was presumably dammed by eruption of
McLennan Hills, Mt Richmond and Crater Hill between 200,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Until about that time, a dividing ridge of Waitemata Sandstone between the east- and
west-flowing catchments existed between Glendowie and Half Moon Bay.
The present day Tamaki Estuary was formed about 7000 years ago when rising sea level,
after the low of the Last Ice Age, flooded the Tamaki River and its branches. This was
not the first time that an estuary existed here, as the river valley was presumably flooded
for a few thousand years every 100,000 years going back to at least 1 million years ago.
A prominent terrace at 5-8 m above sea level borders the estuary and may have been
formed by erosion during the last high sea level stand, 130,000 years ago.

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2.4 Previous Work
2.4.1 Ecological Surveys
This study appears to be the first to map and list the majority of intertidal species
throughout the Tamaki Estuary.
An ecological report on the Waitemata Harbour (Larcombe, 1973) records the distribution
and abundance of the common intertidal fauna and flora, its purpose was to provide
information to be considered in drafting future policies. The report divided the Harbour
into 27 areas, three (p. 123-176) are the entrance to the Tamaki Estuary; Point England to
Panmure bridge; and Panmure Basin. General descriptions of the areas are given,
comments are made on the marine birds, fish, and plant species. More common species
of marine invertebrates and algae are listed under high water, mid tidal level and low
water. Information is given on edible mollusc species, pollution, ecological values and
potential protection.
Grange (1982) reported on the soft sediment benthos in stations located immediately
downstream of highway 1 motorway bridge, as part of an investigation for a possible
Otara power station. This was later followed by a survey of the benthos in 9 stations in
the same area by Kingett Mitchell (1996) who recorded 39 benthic taxa and 10 species of
fish in the estuary and Otara Lake.
A coastal wetland inventory of Tahuna Torea listed wetland plants, dominant and
endangered bird species, with brief comments made on the abundance of crabs and
mud snails (Department of Conservation, 1988). Clark (1997) surveyed the cockle
populations of Tamaki Estuary.
A study was done on the intertidal life on the east side of the Tamaki Estuary near its
mouth from Musick Point to Little Bucklands Beach (Morley 2002). It was noted that the
molluscs at Bucklands Beach have suffered severe decreases in diversity and abundance
from the 1950’s to 2001. It appeared that the main causes were siltation, pollution,
especially tributyltin in antifouling paint, the Imperial Chemical Industries fire, loss of
habitat and harvesting.
2.4.2 Introduced Species
Tamaki Estuary has been the recipient of a number of marine species introduced to New
Zealand by shipping in recent decades. Read and Gordon (1991) first recorded the
introduced tube worm
Ficopomatus enigmaticus
growing on rocks near the outfall of
warm freshwater from Otara Power Station. Willan (1985) recorded the arrival of the
Asian date mussel in New Zealand in the mid-late 1970s and its establishment in Tamaki
Estuary by 1982. Creese et al. (1997) summarised the results of DeLuca and Wharton’s
MSc studies on the biology and ecology of the introduced Asian date mussel
Musculista
senhousia
, in Tamaki Estuary. Further work on the Asian date mussel was undertaken by
Sim (1999). The Australian bridled goby was first reported from New Zealand in Otara
Lake by Kingett Mitchell (1996).

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Dromgoole and Foster (1978) did not include the Tamaki Estuary in their studies, but their
comments on introduced species, reclamation, sedimentation and pollution in the
Waitemata Harbour apply here.
2.4.3 Environmental Pollution
An infamous example of chemical spillage and pollution in Tamaki Estuary occurred
during the ICI fire in December 1984. This spillage killed off populations of mud crabs and
mud snails in the adjacent embayment where mangroves were defoliated or killed, but
most of the ecosystem had recovered to its pre-spillage condition within 9 months
(Maxwell, 1985, 1987a, b).
During 1990, a video, “Tamaki - Green or Grey?” was made by visiting film maker Peter
Watkins who filmed and recorded facts about the Tamaki Estuary. St Kentigerns College
senior students interviewed key people concerned with the proposed industrial
development of Waiouru Peninsula situated on the east side of the estuary above
Panmure Bridge. Results of this and other topics were presented at a public forum. On a
similar theme, the Tamaki River Planning Study (KRTA Ltd. 1990), commissioned by the
Waitemata Harbour Maritime Planning Authority documented resources, recreational
use, identified conflicts, assessed future pressures and recommended appropriate
actions. Zones in the Tamaki Estuary in the National Habitat Inventory for New Zealand
are also discussed.
An article on the Tamaki Estuary written by Max Chapple (1993) in Metro magazine,
reports that at that time the Auckland Regional Council considered the Tamaki Estuary to
be in a worse state than the Manukau Harbour and one of the most polluted waterways
in the country. Problems included overflows from sewage substations, industrial
discharges, siltation, leachate from rubbish dumps, boats and commercial boat yards,
road and farm run-off.
A section of the Tamaki Estuary Coastal Strategy (Auckland City Council, 2000) deals
with margins of the estuary relating to water run-off, erosion, coastal structures, public
access, management and areas considered to be worthy of protection. A report on the
restoration of Panmure Basin (Danielle Carter 2001, unpublished report to the Auckland
City Council), identified broad problems around the Basin and suggested remedies.
In an MSc thesis, Tang (1999) documented the surficial and late European levels of heavy
metals in Panmure Basin sediment, and reported that the most contaminated part was
near the stormwater outfall by the swimming baths. Hayward et al. (2004) documented
changes in the foraminiferal faunas in two short sediment cores in Panmure Basin that
correlated with European urbanisation of the catchment. Swales et al. (2002) provided
high resolution documentation of the impact of urbanisation on sediment influx into
Pakuranga Creek.
A number of studies have been undertaken in connection with the Otahuhu Power
Station (Grange, 1982; Black et al., 1996; Kingett Mitchell, 1996), and Symmons (2000)
undertook an environmental risk assessment of the estuary.

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2.4.4 Geology
Geology of the intertidal exposures around Tamaki Estuary was mapped by Kermode
(1992). Gregory et al. (1994) mapped the seafloor sediment in the estuary.
2.5 Tamaki Estuary Steering Committee
In 1984, a serious fire occurred at the ICI paint factory near Panmure Basin with toxic run
off into the estuary having a severe impact on the surrounding marine life. As a result of
this catastrophe, in 1988 a Steering Committee (originally known as the Task Force) was
set up to improve the water quality and protect the Tamaki Estuary. It aimed to provide a
forum for consultation, co-ordination of strategies, plans and work programmes for the
organisations taking part. Members include Auckland Regional Council, Auckland and
Manukau City Councils, Auckland Harbour Board, Watercare, Ngati Paoa Trust and the
Tamaki Estuary Protection Society. Problems tackled are sewage overflows, earthworks
control, siltation, coastal erosion, water quality, pollution and recreational safety. Various
studies by the Auckland Regional Council include monitoring water temperature, oxygen
levels, water clarity, sediment, microbiological indicators, and heavy metals in oysters
(1992). The Steering Committee continues to meet regularly. Large sums of money have
been spent on upgrading sewage stations, monitoring industrial run-off, sewage disposal
from boats, and commercial and public education. Settlement ponds have been
established to reduce pollution flowing into the estuary from Omaru Creek in Glen Innes.

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3 Methodology
3.1 Survey Methodology
All accessible sections of the intertidal coastline were surveyed on foot by the authors
during 23 days of field work between 2002 and 2005 (Appendix 1). The coastline was
subdivided into 13 separate sections (Appendix 3), each of which was of sufficiently
small size to enable a thorough survey during one low tidal cycle. Each survey was
undertaken on the monthly spring tide, when low tide was in the range 0.1-0.4 m (mean
low tide is 0.7 m and low tide range is 0-1.4 m). Each survey consisted of 3-4 hours of
detailed examination of all the intertidal habitats present, recording all the living taxa
found, assessing their relative abundance (see Appendix 3), and also recording the
presence of any additional dead taxa observed. Specimens of taxa that needed
microscopic or other detailed study for identification were taken back to the laboratory,
as were samples of shell sand from beneath low tide boulders, and microscopic shells
washed off the underside of boulders or washed off seaweeds, including turfs and
holdfasts. The biotic composition of the infauna in soft sediment habitats was periodically
surveyed by digging and sieving.
The distribution of macrohabitats, rocky substrates and distinctive macrocommunities
and key organisms was plotted on maps in the field and later traced onto a digital map.
This map was later transferred onto GIS software by ARC staff and is published at the
end of this report.
3.2 Biodiversity and Specimens
Recent scientific name changes of the more common intertidal species are listed in
Appendix 2.
A list of 508 species recorded from the intertidal coast of the Tamaki Estuary and its
entrance is presented in Appendix 3. The list is almost entirely based on the results of
this survey, but some additional historical records of rarer species have been added from
publications, from earlier observations of one of us (MSM), and from specimens lodged
in the Auckland War Memorial Museum collections (Marine and Botany Departments).
Preserved reference specimens of most recorded invertebrate taxa have been placed in
the collections of the Marine Department, Auckland War Memorial Museum, and dried
reference specimens of many seaweeds have been placed in the herbarium of the
Botany Department of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
This species list is not exhaustive and is clearly weak in some areas, such as polychaete
worms, sponges, and intertidal fish. There has been no attempt to collect and
systematically identify a number of groups of smaller organisms, such as amphipods,
isopods, ostracods, bryozoa, foraminifera or marine microalgae. The present list is most
complete in groups such as molluscs, seaweeds and echinoderms. A comprehensive
species list is likely to result in a census of nearly 800 species.

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4 Intertidal Habitats and Communities
4.1 Salt Marsh and Salt Meadow
Minor areas of salt marsh occur around the fringes of the Tamaki Estuary, between
Curlew Bay and Tahuna Torea. Low growing, higher tidal salt meadow is best developed
in a small area on the landward north side of Tahuna Torea. This salt meadow is primarily
composed of patches of white-flowering sea primrose
Samolus repens
and saltwort
Sarcocornia australis
, and less commonly yellow-flowering Bachelor’s button
Cotula
coronopifolia
.
The salt marsh, which is best developed at the head of Wakaaranga Creek, is dominated
by a mix of the rushes, oioi
Leptocarpus similis
, wiwi
Juncus maritimus
and giant
umbrella sedge
Cyperus ustulatus
, and on slightly higher ground they are joined by
saltmarsh ribbonwood
Plagianthus divaricatus
and pohuehue
Muehlenbeckia complexa
.
Older ribbonwood branches often have a thick covering of fruticose lichens, especially
Ramalina celasteri
and yellow-grey
Teloschistes
. Around the roots of the rushes are
found the mudsnail Amphibola crenata, the small banded ear shell
Ophicardelus
costellaris
, tiny snail
Potamopyrgus estuarinus
, and sometimes dark mats of the
seaweed
Gigartina chapmani
.
4.2 Mangrove Forest
Mangrove forest thickly lines the banks of the upper reaches of the Tamaki Estuary,
including Pakuranga, Otara and Otahuhu. In the middle reaches the mangroves become
more patchy and decrease in abundance towards the mouth, with the largest patches in
the sheltered bays, like Wakaaranga or Omaru, or inside the spits of Tahuna Torea.
Older mangrove plants have a wide variety of lichens growing on their trunks and larger
branches. In shade or partial shade the lichens are dominantly foliose. In less dense
shade, fruticose lichens such as old man’s beard
Usnea
and
Ramalina
, are more
common. Growing on the pneumatophores or lower trunks of the mangroves are
patches of the soft, dark alga
Catenella nipae
.
The small acorn barnacle
Austrominius modestus
grows on some of the
pneumatophores, lower branches and leaves of the mangroves. The small flea mussel
Xenostrobus pulex
and the Pacific oyster grow in clumps on
pneumatophores
and lower
trunks. Living in the mud beneath the mangroves are mud crabs
Helice crassa
, numerous
mud snails
Amphibola crenata
, horn shells
Zeacumantus lutulentus
, and around mean
high water level with freshwater seepage, the small snail
Potamopyrgus estuarinus
. The
associated fauna in this habitat in the Tamaki Estuary appears to be less diverse than that
recorded from similar mangrove forest around the middle Waitemata Harbour (Hayward
et al., 1999).

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4.3 Seagrass Meadows
Only one large area of bright green sea grass meadow of
Zostera muelleri
occurs in
Tamaki Estuary and this covers most of the area of low tidal sand flats along a 1 km
stretch of Karaka Bay. This sward has developed from small scattered patches which
first reappeared at Karaka Bay in 1995, after their die off 30-40 years earlier (see section
6.3). Other small patches occur between reefs outside the estuary entrance and off
Tahuna Torea. At Karaka Bay the
Zostera
is peppered with bright orange-pink specimens
of the fenestrate sponge
Polymastia granulate.
4.4 Sublittoral Seaweed Fringe
A 1-5 m wide fringe of large brown seaweeds is prominent around the low tide mark
where there is a hard rocky or bouldery substrate on either side of the entrance to the
Tamaki Estuary and extending a short distance into its outer parts. The innermost
occurrence of these seaweeds occurs on the edge of a sandstone reef just south of
Halfmoon Bay marina. This zone is composed of three prominent brown seaweeds, in
order of decreasing abundance –
Sargassum sinclairii
,
Carpophyllum maschalocarpum
,
and
Ecklonia radiata
.
4.5 Estuarine Mud
Beyond the seaward fringe of the mangroves in the upper and parts of the middle
reaches of Tamaki Estuary, the tidal areas are dominantly unvegetated soft mud. This
supports a low diversity biota dominated by three species of mud crab,
Helice crassa,
Hemigrapsus crenulatus,
and
Macropthalmus hirtipes.
Grazing deposit-feeders on the
surface are large numbers of mud snails
Amphibola crenata
in the high tidal zone and
horn shells
Zeacumantus lutulentus
in the mid tidal zone. Numerous small bivalves
Theora lubrica
and the nut shell
Nucula hartvigiana
live in low tidal and subtidal mud.
Around low tide transitory banks of soft mud have in places built up around colonies of
the two small mussels
Musculista senhousia
and
Xenostrobus securis
.
4.6 Shelly Sand Flats
Wide intertidal flats in the middle and outer stretches of the Tamaki Estuary, mostly
between the entrance and Panmure Bridge, are draped in muddy fine sand, often littered
with the shells of dead cockles. This habitat also occurs in a few of the more wave- and
current-swept locations above the Panmure Bridge (e.g. Pakuranga Creek entrance).
These tidal sand flats have a rich and relatively diverse biota (Fig. 3) dominated by
abundant, but small specimens of cockles
Austrovenus stutchburyi
, with common pipi
Paphies australis
where freshwater crosses the sand flats at Tahuna Torea Creek.
Usually recognised by their distinctive bird’s foot-like feeding traces on the surface are
the multitudes of deep-burrowing wedge shells,
Macomona liliana
, in the mid tide
regions.

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Large numbers of topshells
Diloma subrostrata
are often attached to stones or dead
shells on these mid tidal flats. Also commonly present are the predatory and scavenging
whelks
Cominella adspersa
and
C. glandiformis
, the bubble shells
Bulla quoyii
and
Haminoea zelandiae
, cheeky burrowing crab
Macrophthalmus hirtipes
, and a wide
diversity of burrowing
polychaetes
. Attached to cockle shells or rocks and partly buried in
the intertidal sand are many small anemones
Anthopleura aureoradiata
. Sheltering and
attached beneath dead cockle shells or small rocks on the tidal sand flats one often finds
the green chiton
Chiton glaucus
, and the tiny limpet
Notoacmea helmsi
and
N. elongata
.
Attached to the upper surface of shells, pebbles, wood or other debris are numerous
Pacific oysters,
Crassostrea gigas
, and in the outer reaches of the estuary, the spiny tube
worm
Spirobranchus cariniferus
.
At low and spring low tide levels on the muddy sand flats, the fauna is less abundant but
quite diverse. Humps in the sand may be the shallow burrowing olive shell
Amalda
australis
, or the circular imprint of the sand dollar
Fellaster zelandiae
. Living infaunally
within the low tidal, and subtidal, sediment are numerous specimens of the small
bivalves
Nucula hartvigiana
and
Theora lubrica
. Many of the low tide burrows openings
belong to the shrimps
Alpheus novaezelandiae
,
Palaemon affinis
, and
Callianassa filholi
.
Occasional large horse mussels
Atrina zelandica
have their tops sticking out of the sand
at and below low tide level, with the largest population at Karaka Bay.
4.7 Shell Banks and Spits
A number of shell banks occur intertidally in the middle and outer parts of Tamaki
Estuary. They are mostly composed of cockle shells that are concentrated into banks by
the action of tidal currents and waves. Some occur in the middle of extensive intertidal
sand flats, as off Wakaaranga Creek mouth and off Tahuna Torea. Some form spits
attached to land and stretching partly across the mouths of small embayments (e.g.,
mouth of Wakaaranga Ck, Curlew Bay). By far the largest shell spit is the V-shaped
complex forming Tahuna Torea, with the 1 km long spit extending almost right across the
Tamaki Estuary to Bucklands Beach.
These relatively mobile shell banks and spits seldom support much intertidal life, unless
they build up above mean high tide level and become colonised by salt-tolerant plants,
such as Sarcocornia.
4.8 Rocky Shores Around the Tamaki Estuary Entrance
Inside and outside the entrance to Tamaki Estuary is bordered by high Waitemata
Sandstone cliffs. The base of the cliffs and the rock platforms that extend seawards from
them are colonised by a zoned succession of plants and animals from the narrow
maritime zone down to low water spring level. Below the maritime zone is the splash
zone of bare rock with small, blue-grey periwinkles
Austrolittorina antipodum
sheltering
in cracks or other shady places. Around high tide level, there are sometimes a few, large,
ribbed barnacles
Epopella plicata
, small patches of the black flea mussel
Xenostrobus
pulex
(especially in the shade of large overhanging pohutukawa trees), and a few limpets
of the species
Cellana ornata
and
Siphonaria australis
.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
14
Organisms that are common and characteristic of the broad mid-tidal part of the
sheltered rocky shores are the acorn barnacles
Austrominius modestus
, the barnacle-
eating oyster borer
Haustrum scobina
, red seaweeds
Gelidium caulacantheum
and
Apophlaea sinclairii
, and the grazing herbivorous topshell
Melagraphia aethiops
, the
leathery slug
Onchidella nigricans
, and snakeskin chiton
Sypharochiton pelliserpentis
.
In some places there is a patchy zone of the shelly tube worm
Spirobranchus cariniferus
just below mid tide level. The Pacific oyster
Crassostrea gigas
is widespread on the rocky
shore at various levels between mid and low tide. Below mean low water neap level,
large areas of rock, often in and around tidal pools, are covered in the pink, commonly
stunted turf of
Corallina officinalis
, which is often discoloured with silt accumulation.
Grazing on rock at this level are numerous cat’s eye
Turbo smaragdus
, which also occur
in large numbers grazing over the dominant, large brown, low tidal seaweeds
Carpophyllum maschalocarpum
and
Ecklonia radiata
. Below mean low tide level, sponges
become moderately common, especially the spherical, brown
Aaptos tentum
, the orange
golf ball sponge
Tethya aurantium
, orange
Cliona celata
, scarlet encrusting
Microciona
coccinea
, and the yellow finger sponge.
4.9 Rock Retaining Walls
About 50% of the shoreline of Tamaki Estuary between the Highway 1 motorway and
the entrance has been modified by the construction of retaining walls, mostly made from
basalt blocks. These walls have been erected to stop the natural and human-induced
high-tidal erosion of the low cliffs of soft Pleistocene rocks. Large stretches of coastline
that have been most impacted are between Whakaaranga and Pakuranga Creeks on the
east side, and between Point England and Otahuhu on the west side.
Dependent upon the tidal level at the foot of the wall, these rock walls are home to small
periwinkles
Austrolittorina antipodum
above high tide, and at mid tide to large oysters
Crassostrea gigas
and sometimes the leathery, shell-less
Onchidella nigricans
. The black
nerita
snails,
Nerita atramentosa
, retreat into the spaces between the rocks when the
tide goes out but come out to graze when covered by water at high tide. The rock
retaining walls are also a popular home for rats, which require regular local council control
programmes.
One unusual area of man-made retaining wall occurs within the high-tide zone on the
west side of West Tamaki Head, where a rectangular area was enclosed by giant basalt
and Coromandel granite boulders as the first stage of the aborted Browns Island sewage
project in the late 1950s.
In addition to Pacific oysters, the basalt and concrete of the Otara Lake weir is richly
colonised by estuarine flea mussels (
Xensotrobus securis
) and on the top of the weir
beneath fast flowing water, specimens of the introduced barnacle
Balanus amphitrite
.
Wooden groynes at Tahuna Torea have
Ulva intestinalis
and
U. lactuca
growing together.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
15
4.10 Microfauna of Seaweeds
Seaweeds in the subtidal fringe and low-tidal zones around the entrance to Tamaki
Estuary are the habitat of numerous small crustaceans and molluscs. The small
crustaceans (e.g. amphipods and isopods) were not identified in this study, but a diverse
fauna of microgastropods was documented. Of these the most common are
Eatoniella
limbata
,
Eatonina atomaria
and
Tubbreva exigua
. Other frequently encountered species
were
Eatoniella lutea
,
E. olivacea, Zalipais lissa
, and the small bivalve
Neolepton
antipodum
.
4.11 Microfauna Beneath Low Tide Rocks
In addition to the larger, more obvious organisms that live in the shelter beneath low-tidal
rocks, there are also a number of microscopic gastropods that graze on the microalgae
on the rocks’ undersurface or live in the sand beneath. This fauna is mostly confined to
the zone outside the mouth of the estuary and extending up into it as far as Tahuna
Torea and Bucklands Beach. The most characteristic and common gastropods in this
habitat are
Pisinna zosterophila
,
P. olivacea impressa
and
Anabathron hedleyi
.
4.12 Fauna of Oyster Clumps
Clumps of oysters provide sheltered crevices and nooks for a variety of associated
organisms, particularly the small limpet
Notoacmea elongata
, small snail
Risellopsis varia
,
leathery
Onchidella nigricans
, juvenile
Sypharochiton pelliserpentis
, isopods, small
mussel
Xenostrobus pulex
, acorn barnacle
Austrominius modestus
, the marine spider
Desis marina
, and scale worm
Lepidonotus polychromus
. Dark mats of the seaweed
Gigartina chapmani
attach to the oyster clumps around mid tide level. Near Seaside Park,
Otahuhu, oyster clumps supported populations of the Asian mussel
Musculista
senhousia
and large
Diloma subrostrata
.
4.13 Subtidal Washup
A wide variety of shells are washed up the beaches and rocks in and around the entrance
to the Tamaki Estuary. Many are cockles, pipis and speckled topshells
Melagraphia
aethiops
and other species that live on the local intertidal beaches and rocks. Also
washed up are many shells of species that live subtidally just offshore in the harbour, and
their presence gives us an insight into these subtidal communities. These include the
ostrich shells
Pelicaria vermis
, snails
Cominella quoyana
, and
Neoguraleus murdochi
,
horse mussel
Atrina zelandica
, basket shell
Corbula zelandica
, biscuit shells
Dosina
zelandica
, and
Dosinia subrosea
,
Leptomya retiaria
, box shell
Myadora striata
, oblong
venus shell
Ruditapes largillierti
, morning star shell
Tawera spissa
, sunset shells
Gari
stangeri
and
G. convexa
, scallop
Pecten novaezelandiae
, ribbed venus shell
Protothaca

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
16
crassicosta
,
Pleuromeris zelandica
, and small tusk shell
Antalis nana
. Also present are
rare valves of the fragile bivalves
Soletellina nitida
and
S. siliquens
, and heart urchins
Echinocardium cordatum
.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
17
5 Geographic Distribution Patterns
5.1 Cluster Analysis Methodology
Cluster analyses were undertaken to investigate whether the intertidal biota is randomly
distributed around the coast of the Tamaki Estuary study area or whether it exhibits
distinct geographic patterns. Our field survey methodology (see section 2.6) was
designed to enable this kind of analysis. Species presence was recorded in each of 13
separate coastal sections, and each live species was allocated a qualitative assessment
of abundance, which was converted to numbers for generation of a similarity matrix
(abundant = 5, common = 4, frequent = 3, occasional = 2, rare = 1). Dead specimens
were also recorded.
Four cluster analyses were run (Fig. 3):
a. Numerical conversions of abundance data on all live species recorded in our surveys
(excluding birds, fish, maritime plants and lichens). Bray Curtis Similarity coefficient used
as basis for clustering.
b. Presence/absence records of all biota recorded (live and dead, wash-up and in situ),
excluding birds, fish, maritime plants and lichens. Jaccards Similarity coefficient used as
basis for clustering.
c. Abundance records of all seaweeds recorded. Bray Curtis Simmilarity coefficient used
as basis for clustering.
d. Abundance records of all live molluscs recorded. Bray Curtis Simmilarity coefficient
used as basis for clustering.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
18
Figure 3
Cluster analysis dendrograms showing groupings of the different coastal localities based on four
subsets of our intertidal biota data (Appendix 3):
a. Clusterings based on all records of live biota in this survey, using our qualitative abundance scale
and Bray Curtis similarity coefficient;
b. Clusterings based on all records of live and dead biota, presence/absence data and Jaccards
similarity coefficient;
c. Clusterings based on all records of seaweed, using our qualitative abundance scale and Bray
Curtis similarity coefficient;
d. Clustering based on all records of live molluscs in this survey, using our qualitative abundance
scale and Bray Curtis similarity coefficient.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
19
5.2 Cluster Analysis Results
The two cluster analyses based on the abundance data of the live biota and
presence/absence records of the live and dead biota produced three identical high level
clusters (Fig. 3) – one comprised the five seaward localities (Achilles Pt, West Tamaki
Head, Eastern Beach, Bucklands Beach, and Glendowie); another comprised three
middle estuary localities (Farm Cove, Waihuna Bay and Panmure); and the third
comprised five inner estuary localities (Panmure Basin, Panama Rd Peninsula, Otahuhu,
Pakuranga Creek, and Waiouru Peninsula). The dividing lines between these three
biogeographic regions are at Tahuna Torea – Half Moon Bay, and at Panmure Bridge (Fig.
4).
The cluster analysis based on the abundance of live molluscs produced almost the same
three high level clusters (Fig. 3), except that the Panama Rd Peninsula locality is more of
an outlier and does not cluster directly with the other upper estuary localities.
The cluster analysis based on the abundance of seaweeds produced three slightly
different high level clusters (Figs. 3, 4) – the seaward cluster additionally includes the
Farm Cove section on the east side of the estuary; Waihuna Bay clusters with the upper
estuary localities; and a new middle estuary cluster is formed by Panmure, Panmure
Basin and Pakuranga Creek.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
20
Figure 4
Geographic distribution of the groups identified by cluster analyses (Fig. 3):
a. Clusterings based on all records of live biota in this survey, using our qualitative abundance scale
and Bray Curtis similarity coefficient;
b. Clusterings based on all records of live and dead biota, presence/absence data and Jaccards
similarity coefficient;
c. Clusterings based on all records of seaweed, using our qualitative abundance scale and Bray
Curtis similarity coefficient;
d. Clustering based on all records of live molluscs in this survey, using our qualitative abundance
scale and Bray Curtis similarity coefficient.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
21
5.2.1 Outer Estuary Region
The diverse biota of the region around the mouth of Tamaki Estuary living on intertidal
rocks and sand is dominated by the topshell
Melagraphia aethiops
, cat’s eye
Turbo
smaragda
, Pacific oyster
Crassostrea gigas
, half crab
Petrolisthes elongatus
, acorn
barnacle
Austrominius modestus
, tube worm
Spirobranchus cariniferus
, and seaweeds
Carpophyllum maschalocarpum
,
Corallina
turf,
Hormosira banksii
, and
Sargassum
sinclairii
. Other species that are frequent and characteristic of this region include: chitons
Ischnochiton maorianus
,
Cryptoconchus porosus
, and
Sypharochiton pelliserpentis
, snails
Haustrum scobina
,
Maoricrypta
, and
Sigapatella
, yellow sea slug
Dendrodoris citrina
,
bivalves
Perna canaliculus
,
Xenostrobus pulex
, starfish
Coscinasterias muricata
and
Patiriella regularis
, crabs
Cyclograpsus lavauxi
,
Pagurus novaezelandiae
, sponge
Aaptos
tentum
and
Tethya aurantium
, sea squirts
Corella eumyota
, orange
Cnemidocarpa
biconuata
, and spiny
Styela clavata
, and seaweeds
Codium fragile
,
C. convolutum
, and
Ecklonia radiata
.
5.2.2 Middle Estuary Region
The biota of the middle estuary is dominated by the epifaunal snails
Zeacumantus
lutulentus, Amphibola crenata, Cominella glandiformis, Diloma subrostrata, Micrelenchus
huttonii,
bubble shells
Haminoea zelandiae
, the tiny limpet
Notoacmea elongata
, the
bivalves
Austrovenus stutchburyi, Nucula hartvigiana, Macomona liliana
and the Asian
date mussel
Musculista senhousia
, three mudcrabs Helice crassa,
Hemigrapsus
crenulatus
, and
Macrophthalmus hirtipes
, snapping shrimp
Alpheus novaezelandiae,
tube
worm
Spirobranchus cariniferus
, acorn barnacle
Austrominius modestus
, and anemone
Anthopleura aureoradiata
.
5.2.3 Inner Estuary Region
The biota of this region is dominated by mangroves and their epiphytic acorn barnacles
Austrominius modestus
and small brown algae
Gigartina chapmanii
and
Catenella nipae
,
high tidal mud snails
Amphibola crenata
, the leathery slug
Onchidella nigricans
, epifaunal
snails
Cominella glandiformis
,
Diloma subrostrata
, and horn shell
Zeacumantus
lutulentus
, Pacific oysters
Crassostrea gigas
, cockles
Austrovenus stutchburyi,
and three
mudcrabs
Helice crassa
,
Hemigrapsus crenulatus
, and
Macrophthalmus hirtipes
.
5.3 Species Diversity Patterns
One of the major reasons behind the cluster analyses results is the dramatic trend of
decreasing species diversity from around the mouth of Tamaki Estuary and passing up to
its upper reaches (Fig. 5). The five outer estuary localities all have records of more than
118 live species, >120 live plus dead species, >15 species of seaweed, and >53 species
of live molluscs. The Bucklands Beach locality, extending north to the tip of Musick Pt,
has the largest number of recorded total live, live plus dead, and live mollusc species.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
22
This is partly influenced by the much higher intensity of survey it has received in recent
years by MSM (Morley, 2002), but the greater diversity here is probably real and reflects
the greater diversity of habitats present.
The middle estuary group of three localities has intermediate levels of diversity, with 50-
100 live species, 65-125 live plus dead species, 5-17 species of seaweed, and 25-50
species of live molluscs (Fig. 5). The five upper estuary localities have just 29-43 live
species each, 35-48 live plus dead species, just 2-6 seaweed species, and 15-25 species
of live molluscs (Fig. 5).

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
23
Figure 5
Species diversity in each area (Appendix 3) of Tamaki Estuary for:
a. Number of live species, other than vascular plants, lichens, fish, birds and mammals;
b. Number of all live and dead species, other than vascular plants, lichens, fish, birds and mammals;
c. Number of species of seaweed;
d. Number of species of live molluscs.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
24
5.4 Geographic Distribution of Species Around the Tamaki Estuary
Some species occur around the entire coast of the Tamaki Estuary (e.g. Pacific oysters
Crassostrea gigas
, acorn barnacle
Austrominius modestus
, half-crab
Petrolisthes
elongatus
, leathery slug
Onchidella nigricans
), but many have more limited geographic
distributions (rather than habitat or substrate), mostly influenced by their distance from
the open harbour. As shown by the cluster analyses, the major biotic divisions reflect the
distance up the estuary away from the cleaner water, less muddy substrates and more
exposed, rocky habitats.
Examples of some of the various distribution patterns are shown by selections of chitons
(Fig. 6), gastropods (Fig. 7), bivalves (Fig. 8), echinoderms (Fig. 9), crabs (Fig. 10),
barnacles (Fig. 11), anemones, worms, sponges and sea squirts (Fig. 12) and seaweeds
(Fig. 13).

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
25
Figure 6
Geographic distribution of a selection of chitons in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
26
Figure 7
Geographic distribution of a selection of gastropods in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
27
Figure 8
Geographic distribution of a selection of bivalves in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
28
Figure 9
Geographic distribution of a selection of echinoderms in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
29
Figure 10
Geographic distribution of a selection of crabs in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
30
Figure 11
Geographic distribution of a selection of barnacles in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
31
Figure 12
Geographic distribution of a selection of anemones, worms, sponges and sea squirts in the Tamaki
Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
32
Figure 13
Geographic distribution of a selection of seaweeds in the Tamaki Estuary.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
33
6 Noteworthy Occurrences
This section describes the occurrences of some of the rarer or more interesting species
noted during this study.
6.1 Chitons (Fig. 14):
Acanthochitona violacea
– This large colourful chiton with a wide girdle occurs
sporadically beneath low tidal rocks on either side of the outer part of the estuary and on
the coasts outside.
Pseudotonicia cuneata
– This chiton has been recorded only rarely at Bucklands Beach
(1950s, 2003 and 2004). It used to be considered a rare chiton until it was found to live in
soft sediment.
6.2 Snails (Fig. 14):
Alcithoe arabica
– The abundance of dead shells of this volute throughout the outer part
of the estuary testify to their former abundance. It is known to be susceptible to TBT
poisoning and this may partly explain its current rareness, with live specimens only seen
burrowing through the surface of low tide sand at both ends of Bucklands Beach. Several
specimens have been found eating pipi.
Austrolittorina cincta
– This species of large brown periwinkle mostly occurs on more
exposed, mostly west coast shores, but was recorded in this study from one place in
Waihuna Bay, near Pt England.
Bulla quoyii
– Live specimens of this large brown bubble shell were only seen around the
Zostera sea grass at Karaka Bay and in filamentous cyanobacteria on the west side of
Musick Pt. Its distinctive ovoid spawn was noted north of Pt England in November 2002.
Bursatella leachii
– this sea hare was seen in good numbers along the east side of
Musick Pt, along the Karaka Bay coast and around the end of Tahuna Torea spit.
Cabestana spengleri
– The only records of this large carnivorous snail were rare
specimens on the low tide at Achilles Pt reef and two specimens at Karaka Bay.
Cominella glandiformis
– a dead sinistral
1
specimen was found at Farm Cove in 1993.
Haminoea zelandiae
– Numerous specimens of this fragile bubble shell live on muddy
fine sand at low tide in the middle reaches of the estuary, as far up as the mouth of
Pakuranga Creek, but especially towards the end of the sand flats that extend into the
estuary from Tahuna Torea and Wakaaranga Creek. The speckled grey animal shows
through the translucent shell creating camouflage such that they are often first detected
by the presence of distinctive, sausage-shaped, white spawn masses in surface pools of
water.
1
A sinistral gastropod shell with the apex upward has it’s aperture to the left when facing the observer

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
34
Pelicaria vermis
– The only place where live specimens of the ostrich foot shell was seen
was in soft fine sand at low water spring on the south side of the tip of Tahuna Torea.
They were formally present in the 1990s in low numbers at Bucklands Beach.
Pleurobranchaea maculata
– this large slug-like creature occurred sporadically along the
coast on both sides of the estuary mouth, seaward of Tahuna Torea. Large numbers
were present at Bucklands Beach in 2002.
Scutus breviculus
– This, large, black, slug-like shield shell mollusc was only seen outside
the entrance to Tamaki Estuary under low tide rocks at West Tamaki Head and Achilles
Pt.
Tugali elegans
and
T. suteri
– These two, somewhat uncommon but distinctive slit
limpets were found only rarely in the study area, always sheltering under low tide rocks.
The former was found in several places along the West Tamaki Head-Achilles Pt coast
and the latter only on the west side of Musick Pt.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
35
Figure 14
Noteworthy molluscs of Tamaki Estuary and its entrance.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
36
6.3 Sea slugs, nudibranchs (Fig. 15):
Twelve species of these distinctive and somewhat rare and always beautiful sea slugs
were found during this study, most commonly just outside the Tamaki Estuary entrance
but also up the estuary as far as Tahuna Torea and Half Moon Bay. These are:
Acanthodoris mollicella
– one specimen from Karaka Bay coast and two specimens under
low tide rocks at Eastern Beach., Feb 2005.
Alloiodoris lanuginata
– one specimen from West Tamaki Head reef.
Berthella medietas
– one specimen from Achilles Pt reef.
Berthella ornata
– rare specimens from both sides of Musick Pt, Bucklands Beach yacht
club reef and Achilles Pt. Neither of these two
Berthella
species were found in the
Waitemata Harbour study (Hayward et al., 1999).
Dendrodoris citrina
– the brightest-coloured (yellow-orange) and most common
nudibranch, with several hundred seen on the coast just outside and in the entrance to
Tamaki Estuary. It extends further up the estuary than any other seaslug, reaching Half
Moon Bay and the tip of Tahuna Torea.
Dendrodoris denisoni
– one beautiful speckled specimen was seen on sand in a tidal pool
on the east side of Musick Pt. (Morley et al., 2001).
Dendrodoris nigra
– one specimen found on the west side of Musick Pt.
Elysia maoria
– the distinctive spiral spawn of this nudibranch was seen on
Codium
convolutum
on the Bucklands Beach yacht club reef in spring 2003 and a live specimen
recorded there in the 1990s.
Melanochlamys cylindrica
– a small black sea slug found on the west side of Musick Pt,
the tip of Tahuna Torea and at Karaka Bay and West Tamaki Head. The Tamaki Heads are
the type locality for this slug originally named
Aglaja cylindrica
Cheeseman, 1881. The
name has since been updated to
Melanochlamys cylindrica
(Spencer 2002).
Phidiana milleri
– two specimens found on
Corallina
edge of channel at Grangers Point,
Bucklands Beach in 1995.
Philinopsis taronga
– one specimen found near Tahuna Torea preying on
Haminoea
zelandiae.
Rostanga muscula
– rare specimens of this small red sea slug were found on both sides
of Musick Pt and on the Karaka Bay coast.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
37
Figure 15
Sea slugs of Tamaki Estuary and its entrance.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
38
6.4 Bivalves (Fig. 14):
Atrina zealandica
– A few live horse mussels were recorded at low tide level along the
Karaka Bay coast, off Tahuna Torea spit and on both sides of Musick Pt down to the
north end of Little Bucklands Beach.
Cleidothaerus albidus
– Single specimens of this large encrusting bivalve were recorded
from low tide reefs at Achilles Pt, West Tamaki Head and Musick Pt.
Mytilus galloprovincialis
– The blue mussel is relatively rare around northern New
Zealand. A few dead shells were recorded around Musick Pt and one live on West
Tamaki Head reef.
Pecten novaezelandiae
– Two live specimens were found at low tide at Bucklands Beach
in 1991.
Solemya parkinsonii
– One live specimen of this fragile-shelled bivalve was recorded
from West Tamaki Pt.
Xenostrobus securis
– This large estuarine flea mussel forms the densest beds known in
Auckland on a reef of Parnell Grit located well up Pakuranga Creek. In many places these
mussels attach inside and fill bore holes made by the isopod
Isocladus armatus.
X.
securis
also occurs in the tidal bed of the stream draining Van Dammes Lagoon as it
enters Panmure Basin and another near Tahuna Torea.
6.5 Echinoderms (Fig. 16):
Evechinus chloroticus
– Kina (the common green sea egg) is extremely rare in the study
area with rare occurrences under low tidal rocks on both sides of the mouth of Tamaki
Estuary.
Ophionereis fasciatus
– This small striped brittle star is slightly more common than sea
eggs and has been found on sand beneath low tide rocks from St Heliers to Karaka Bay
and on either side of Musick Pt.
Stichopus mollis
– This large sea cucumber is extremely rare in the study area with single
records from either side of Tamaki Estuary mouth.
Fellaster zelandica
– The sea biscuit lives buried shallowly in low tidal sand both outside
Tamaki Estuary and inside its mouth as far up as Tahuna Torea and Bucklands Beach.
6.6 Coral (Fig. 16):
Culicia rubeola
– This encrusting coral occurs under low-tidal ledges and rocks around the
mouth of the estuary and near Omaru Creek inside the estuary.
6.7 Tubeworms (Fig. 16):
Spirobranchus cariniferus –
This native spiny tube worm has declined in abundance in the
Waitemata Harbour in recent decades (e.g. Hayward et al., 1999), but is still thriving in

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
39
places around the mouth of Tamaki Estuary, especially on the west side of Musick Pt
where it even overgrows Pacific oysters.
6.8 Sea squirt (Fig. 16):
Styela plicata –
This distinctive, white, apparently introduced sea-squirt is moderately
common attached to low tide rocks on either side of Musick Pt and inside the entrance
of Tamaki Estuary up as far as Tahuna Torea and just beyond at Half Moon Bay.
6.9 Seaweeds (Fig. 16):
Caulerpa geminata –
This distinctive grape-like green alga occurs occasionally on low tide
reefs from Achilles Pt to Karaka Bay.
Myriogloea intestinalis –
The long slimy strands of this brown alga occurs seasonally in
spring and summer on rocks just north of Pt England. This species is more commonly
found on open coasts (Adams, 1994).
Petalonia fascia –
This brown alga has only been recorded in this study on intertidal rocks
on the west side of Musick Pt and up the estuary on the coast of Panama Rd peninsula.
Scytosiphon lomentaria –
This branching brown alga was only recorded on intertidal rocks
on the west side of Musick Pt.
Splachnidium rugosum – A few plants of this brown alga were seen growing in autumn
and winter on low tide rocks at the end of Musick and Achilles Points.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
40
Figure 16
Other noteworthy invertebrates and seaweeds of Tamaki Estuary and its entrance.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
41
7 Human-Related Biotic and Other Changes
7.1 Introduced Species
Since Europeans arrived, approximately 70 marine species have been recorded as having
been introduced to New Zealand waters and are now living and reproducing in the
Waitemata Harbour (Hayward, 1997; Cranfield et al., 1998). A few of these have
extended their range into the present study area. These include (Fig. 17):
Crassostrea gigas
– Pacific oysters were first observed in Tamaki Estuary settling on
Musculista senhousia
debris at Farm Cove in March 1992. They are now well-established
and widespread outside and inside the Tamaki Estuary, becoming less common in the
higher reaches, where it still occurs colonising the pneumatophores and lower trunks of
mangroves. On its own, this species has brought the largest changes to the intertidal
biota of Tamaki Estuary – colonising large areas of previously clear sandstone reef and
also in places forming growing patches of sharp oysters attached to shells on the mud
flats.
Musculista senhousia
– The small Asian date mussel has probably brought about the
second largest changes to Tamaki Estuary in European times. Arriving in the Waitemata
Harbour in the early 1980s, it was soon noticed to have established intertidal and low
tidal colonies in Tamaki Estuary (Willan 1985, 1987, Morley 1988). Studies have shown
that after settlement in high concentrations, byssal threads of these mussels trap
sediment and can build up a raised mud bank around them. They usually live for 20-22
months and when they die, the mud bank often breaks up and washes away (Creese and
Hooker, 1996; Creese et al., 1997). Sometimes the bank is repeatedly settled and it may
exist for a number of years. During our study we mapped the present distribution of date
mussel beds, with large mud banks on the spring low tidal edge of the channel near
Otara Power Station, the junction of Pakuranga Creek, and extending north from
Panmure Wharf. Smaller patches were mapped off Tahuna Torea, Bucklands Beach and
Farm Cove. In 2003 small numbers of Asian date mussel were also found living among
dense patches of
Xenostrobus pulex
on mid tidal sandstone reefs of Musick Pt. When
patches of Asian mussels die, they attract large numbers of scavenging starfish
Patiriella
,
and
Coscinasterias
, and even ducks.
Limaria orientalis
– A few dead shells of the introduced file shell were found in the outer
parts of the estuary, but live specimens were only seen at low tide level north of Pt
England and in nests in mud at Bucklands Beach in August 2001.
Theora lubrica
– This is a small, thin-shelled bivalve that arrived from east Asia in the
1970s (Climo, 1976). It occurs in vast numbers in low tidal and subtidal mud throughout
much of the Waitemata Harbour (Hayward et al., 1997; 1999). In the Tamaki Estuary its
range is limited to the central and outer parts, with its greatest abundance between
Bucklands Beach and Panmure Bridge.
Charybdis japonica
– This is a large, rather ferocious, swimming crab that arrived in the
Waitemata Harbour in the late 1990s. In this study it has been encountered periodically

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
42
sheltering beneath low tidal rocks around the entrance to Tamaki Estuary, on the west
side of Musick Pt, and between Tahuna Torea and Karaka Bay.
Balanus amphitrite
– A few specimens of this large introduced barnacle live attached to
the upper concrete surface of the Otara Lake weir where they are swept by fast-flowing
water as it overflows out of the lake for 80 % of the time and by incoming marine waters
for the remaining 20 % of the time.
Chaetopterus
sp. – This parchment worm was first noticed around the Hauraki Gulf when
it started turning up dead washed up in large numbers in 1997 (Acosta and Tricklebank,
2002). It is now established in large numbers subtidally and low tidally in a variety of
habitats. It does not seem to like the turbid murky waters of Tamaki Estuary and only
occurs in relatively low numbers at low tide outside and just inside the estuary mouth.
Live specimens have not been recorded further up the estuary than Tahuna Torea.
Ficopomatus enigmaticus
– This brackish water, brittle calcareous tube worm only occurs
around the Otara Power Plant cooling water outflow into Otara Lake, where it was first
reported in 1980s (Read and Gordon, 1991). This is still its only known occurrence in the
Auckland region and only the second known occurrence in New Zealand waters (the
other is Whangarei tidal basin).
Watersipora sp
. – A number of introduced bryozoa have been recorded living around the
Auckland wharves, many are not easily recognisable and the only introduced bryozoa
recorded in this study is the distinctive
Watersipora
, which occurs only outside the
mouth of the estuary at Achilles Pt.
Styela clavata
– This distinctive, spiny, stalked sea squirt arrived in Waitemata Harbour
about the time of this study and our records of it in August and September 2002 on low
tide rocks at Musick Pt., Bucklands Beach, and Glendowie are the earliest known from
New Zealand. It is now flourishing just above and below low tide on rocks and wharves
throughout much of the inner Hauraki Gulf. It lives attached to low tidal rocks and occurs
in moderately large numbers inside the entrance and outside, on both sides of Musick Pt
and up the estuary as far as Tahuna Torea
.
Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides
– This introduced green seaweed (Dromgoole, 1975)
lives attached to low tidal and subtidal shells, pebbles and rocks, both outside the
estuary and in its entrance and middle reaches about as far up as Panmure Bridge. Its
greatest density is attached to shells in the strong currents on both sides of the tip of
Tahuna Torea shell spit.
Colpomenia durvillaei
– This introduced seaweed was rare on intertidal platforms from
Bucklands Beach around Musick Pt to Eastern Beach.
Hydroclathrus clathratus
– This seaweed, first reported from the Waitemata Harbour in
the 1970s by Dromgoole and Foster (1983) was recorded in this study from low tidal
reefs near Karaka Bay and Bucklands Beach, 2001.
Spartina spp
. – Three species of chord grass have been introduced deliberately to New
Zealand to reclaim mudflats, but now they are recognised as an undesirable weed. The
three species can only be distinguished on the basis of adult plants. Two small patches
of juvenile Spartina were recorded during this study, near high tide level between Curlew
Bay and Seaside Park.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
43
Arenigobius bifrenatus
– specimens of the Australian bridled goby were captured during
studies in and around Otara Lake in the mid 1990s (Kingett Mitchell, 1996) and were the
first records of this introduced species in the wild in New Zealand. Twelve species of
these distinctive and somewhat rare and always beautiful sea slugs were found during
this study, most commonly just outside the Tamaki Estuary entrance but also up the
estuary as far as Tahuna

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
44
Figure 17
Introduced marine species now living in Tamaki Estuary and examples of molluscs devastated by
TBT poisoning.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
45
7.2 TBT Impacted Species
Poisoning by the anti-fouling paint tributyl tin (TBT) has been shown to produce imposex
in many New Zealand neogastropods (Stewart et al., 1992) resulting in an inability to
reproduce and the eventual death of the populations around major harbours. In the
Tamaki Estuary TBT has probably impacted upon at least three species (Fig. 17):
Alcithoe arabica
– Numerous large dead shells of this volute can be found in the outer
part of Tamaki Estuary (beyond Farm Cove) and TBT and/or other causes may have all but
killed them off. In recent years several live specimens have been monitored near
Bucklands Beach (Morley, 2002).
Amalda australis
– This olive shell was another gastropod hit hard by TBT, but we note
returning numbers in low tidal sand habitats outside the estuary entrance and on the
north side of Tahuna Torea spit.
Haustrum scobina
– The oyster borer was possibly the most impacted by TBT around
Auckland Harbour, where they used to live intertidally in vast numbers. In this study we
note that their numbers are beginning to return outside the estuary and just inside the
mouth. Still, however, no live specimens (although some dead) were observed upstream
from Glendowie or Bucklands Beach.
7.3 Seagrass Disappearance and Return
There are historical reports of widespread
Zostera
in the Tamaki Estuary prior to its
dramatic disappearance there and elsewhere in the Waitemata (Armiger, 1964). While
this can largely be attributed to the Labyrinthula slime it is conceivable that pathogenic
susceptibility is enhanced by unfavourable growth conditions such as increased sediment
load (Department of Conservation 1988, unpublished notes). Small patches of
Zostera
returning at Karaka Bay and north of Tahuna Torea were mapped in August 1996 (Morley
unpublished) and had grown much larger by the time of the present survey.
7.4 Decline in Mollusc Size
An unpublished study by MSM in 1987 compared the average size of the small ostrich
foot
Pelicaria vermis
, cockle
Austrovenus stutchburyi
and pipi
Paphies australis
in the
Tamaki Estuary with specimens from unpolluted beaches e.g. Oneroa, Waiheke Island.
The average size of all three species in the Estuary was about one third smaller. The
smaller size of these species is inferred to reflect the effects of severe stress, most
probably due to pollution and increased siltation. Living populations of these species in
the Tamaki Estuary together with several other taxa, such as
Mactra
and
Macomona
, are
noticeably much smaller than old shells in middens and the estuary. In a more wide-
ranging statistical study Stewart (2004) showed that cockles in Tamaki Estuary had a
much smaller mean size than any of the other sites studied on the outskirts of Auckland.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
46
7.5 Other “Vanished” Species
The apparent decline in the abundance of cockles and pipi, and also the disappearance of
a few rarer rocky shore species (below), parallels similar reported declines in abundance
and diversity elsewhere around Auckland, particularly in the inner Waitemata Harbour
(Hayward et al., 1999), at Howick Beach (Morley et al., 2001) and along the north
Manukau Harbour coast (Hayward and Morley, 2004). The cause of these changes
cannot all be attributed to human harvesting. Anti-fouling paint (TBT) poisoning is
responsible for some declines in the Tamaki Estuary and Waitemata Harbour (e.g.,
Stewart et al., 1992), but not of bivalves for example. Clearly there has been an increase
in silt accumulation along the more sheltered Waitemata and Tamaki Estuary shores, that
may have had some impact in reducing diversity, but this is unlikely to be the total
reason. Other less well-defined factors may include combinations of increased
freshwater runoff (e.g., Hayward et al., 2004), chemical pollutants of various kinds (e.g.,
Maxwell, 1985), increased nutrients and diseases, resulting from the proximity of New
Zealand’s largest city. Widespread decreased abundance of breeding populations to
reseed the coastlines may also be a factor, especially in the case of cockles.
Calliostoma pellucidum
– This elegant, low tidal to subtidal gastropod was recorded living
in the 1980s at Bucklands Beach, and one specimen was found dead at the same locality
in 2002 (Morley, 2002).
Marinula filholi
– This high tidal gastropod was recorded in the 1980s from Bucklands
Beach (Morley, 2002), but was not found again during our 2000s survey.
Muricopsis octogonus
– Rare, old, broken shells of this ornamented gastropod were
found on either side of Musick Pt during this survey, but no living specimens were found.
A similar situation was found in the main part of the Waitemata Harbour in the 1990s
(Hayward et al., 1999). Their disappearance in many New Zealand harbours has been
attributed to TBT poisoning and/or shell collecting.
Neoguraleus sinclairi
– One dead specimen was found on the western coast of Musick
Pt in the 1980s and again in 2001 (Morley, 2002).
Sinezona brevis
- One specimen was found in Corallina turf at Bucklands Beach in the
1980s (Morley, 2002), but none were found during this 2000s survey.
Zeacolpus pagoda
- One dead specimen was found on the western coast of Musick Pt in
the 1980s (Morley, 2002), but none were found during this 2000s survey, nor any live
specimens in the Waitemata Harbour in the 1990s (Hayward et al., 1997, 1999). It
appears to have disappeared from the inner Hauraki Gulf in the last 50 or so years
(Powell, 1937; Hayward et al., 1997).
Arthritica crassiformis
– A shell of this small bivalve was collected from West Tamaki
Head prior to 1960 (AK99887), but none were found in this survey.
Benthocardiella hamatadens
– This small bivalve was found at Bucklands Beach in the
1985 (Morley, 2002), but none were found live or dead in this 2000s survey.
Cyclomactra ovata
– In-situ beds of these large dead estuarine trough shells are exposed
in a number of places around Tamaki Estuary (e.g. Tahuna Torea, north end of Bucklands

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
47
Beach, Farm Cove). Although no similar-sized large
Mactra
were found living during this
survey, they may be present as they are very deep burrowers.
Pinnotheres atrinocola
– This small commensal crab was recorded living inside horse
mussels in 1985 at Bucklands Beach (Morley, 2002), but none were seen nor actively
looked for during this 2000s survey.
7.6 Mangrove Forest Expansion
Examination of a sequence of historic air photos of Tamaki Estuary show that mangrove
forest is expanding its extent around the edges and upper reaches of the Tamaki Estuary.
7.7 Mud Accumulation
Today the upper and middle reaches of Tamaki Estuary are characterised by large
intertidal areas of soft gloopy mud that discourages people from using these areas. Mud
accumulation is natural in the quietest regions of estuaries and coring shows that even in
pre-human times mud was the dominant sediment of the upper parts of the Tamaki
Estuary. Mud has spread further down the estuary since the 1950s with increased
subdivision in the catchment (e.g., Swales et al., 2002) and now covers a greater
proportion of the estuary floor than it did in pre-human, Polynesian and early European
times. Coring and probing in Panmure Basin for example, shows that for at least 800
years prior to 1950, its floor was covered with a thick deposit of cockle shells (e.g.,
Hayward et al., 2004). Since then 0.2-0.4 m depth of mud has accumulated over the floor
of the whole basin. Study of sediment cores also shows that shelled molluscs used to
live in much greater abundance in the middle reaches of the estuary and that their
populations have been decimated since the 1950s by decreased salinity (from increased
freshwater runoff, Hayward et al., 2004) and maybe also by the increased mud.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
48
8 References
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introduced Asian date mussel
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. Unpublished report of Auckland
Uniservices Ltd to Dept of Conservation, 51 p.

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Creese, R.G., Hooker, S.H., De Luca, S., and Wharton, Y., 1997. Ecology and
environmental impact of
Musculista senhousia
(Mollusca: Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in Tamaki
Estuary, Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater
Research 31: 225-236.
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Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 9: 257-264.
Dromgoole, F.I., and Foster, B.A., 1983. Changes to the marine biota of the Auckland
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Grange, K.R., 1982. Macrobenthic communities at possible combined-cycle power
station sites in Manukau and Waitemata Harbours, Auckland. New Zealand
Oceanographic Institute oceanographic summary No. 19, 20 p.
Gregory, M.R., Blacksmore, N.A., Glasby, G.P., and Burrows, M.W., 1994. Manukau and
Waitemata Harbours sediments. New Zealand. Oceanographic Institute chart.
Hayward, B.W., 1997. Introduced marine organisms in New Zealand and their impact in
the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. Tane 36: 197-223.
Hayward, B.W., Grenfell, H.R., Nicholson, K., Parker, R., Wilmhurst, J., Horrocks, M.,
Swales, A., and Sabaa, A.T., 2004. Foraminiferal record of human impact on intertidal
estuarine environments in New Zealand's largest city. Marine Micropaleontology 53: 37-
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Hayward, B.W., and Morley, M.S., 2004. Intertidal life around the coast of the Waitakere
Ranges, Auckland, Auckland Regional Council Working Report No. 111, 102 p.
Hayward, B.W., Morley, M.S., Stephenson, A.B., Blom, W.M., Grenfell, H.R., Prasad, R.,
Rogan, D., Thompson, F., Cheetham, J., and Webb, M., 1999. Intertidal and subtidal
biota and habitats of the central Waitemata Harbour. Auckland Regional Council,
Technical Publication No. 127, 40 p and map.
Hayward, B.W., Stephenson, A.B., Morley, M.S., Riley, J., and Grenfell, H.R., 1997.
Faunal changes in Waitemata Harbour sediments, 1930s-1990s. Journal of the Royal
Society of New Zealand 27: 1-20.
Kermode, L.O., 1992. Geology of the Auckland urban area. 1: 50 000. Institute of
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Tamaki Estuary and Otara Lake. Kingett Mitchell and Associates, 14 p plus appendices.

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KRTA Ltd., 1990. KRTA Report. Waitemata Harbour Maritime Planning Authority, 160 p.
Larcombe, M.F., 1973. Waitemata Harbour Study, Ecology. Auckland Harbour Board and
Auckland Regional Authority, 160 p.
Maxwell, G.S., 1985. The chemical flush into Auckland’s Tamaki Estuary following a
major fire, on 21/12/84 at ICI Mt. Wellington site. An ecological assessment. Unpublished
Report to ICI (NZ) Ltd., Government Depts and local authorities, 63 p.
Maxwell, G.S., 1987a. The ecological recovery of the Tamaki Estuary: A report on the
post ICI Fire Ecological Monitoring Programme, April 1985 to November 1986.
Unpublished Report to ICI (NZ) Ltd., Government Depts and local authorities, 52 p.
Maxwell, G.S., 1987b. A survey of some key biological parameters of ecological health in
the Panmure Basin and inlet during August and September 1987. Unpublished Report for
the Tamaki Estuary Protection Society’s symposium “Tamaki-in-crisis”, 18 p.
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(Benson,
1842). Poirieria 5(15): 4-8.
Morley, M.S., 2002. Marine biota of Little Bucklands Beach to Musick Point, Tamaki
Estuary, Auckland. Poirieria 28:
Morley, M.S., Hayward, B.W., and White, A., 2001. Changes to the intertidal biota
1950's-2000 at Howick Beach, Auckland. Poirieria 27: 4-19.
Morton, J.E., and Miller, M.C., 1968. The New Zealand Sea Shore. Collins, 638 pp.
Powell, A.W.B., 1937. Animal communities of the sea-bottom in Auckland and Manukau
Harbours. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 66: 354-401.
Read, G.B., and Gordon, D.P., 1991. Adventive occurrence of the fouling serpulid
Ficopomatus enigmaticus
(Polychaeta) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine
and Freshwater Research 25: 269-273.
Sim, C.J.L., 1999. The population ecology of the Asian date mussel,
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. Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Spencer, H.G., Willan, R.C., Marshall, B.A., and Murray, T.J., 2002. Checklist of the
recent mollusca described from the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone.
http://torea.otago.ac.nz/pubs/spencer/Molluscs/index.html
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Stewart, M.J., 2004. Impact of urban development on little neck clam populations.
Abstract, NZ Marine Sciences Society Conference, Dunedin.
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Reconstruction of urban stormwater contamination of an estuary using catchment history
and sediment profile dating. Estuaries 25: 43-56.
Symmons, W.J., 2000. Ecological risk assessment of the Tamaki Estuary, Auckland.
Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Tang, J., 1999. Environmental geology study on Panmure basin, Auckland, New Zealand.
Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Willan, R.C., 1985. Successful establishment of the Asian mussel
Musculista senhousia
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489.

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52
Acknowledgements
For assistance in the field we thank Hugh Grenfell, Clare Hayward, Kathryn Hayward,
Glenys Hayward, Shungo Kawagata, Fraser Morgan, Leslie Newman and Richard Willan.
Thanks to Ros Nicholson and Colin Percy for loaning historical documents; Con Morley
for information on sea mammal sightings; and Chris Horne for the record of Upogebia
hirtifrons. For assistance with identifications we thank Wilma Blom (worms), Doug
Rogan, Ewen Cameron (seaweeds), John Early (spider), Jenny Riley and Brett
Stephenson (crustaceans). Todd Landers is thanked for assistance in obtaining Auckland
Museum records. For funding assistance we acknowledge sponsorship by the Auckland
Regional Council.

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
53
9 Appendices
9.1 Appendix 1 – Field Surveys
Panmure Basin, July 2002
Pakuranga Creek, June 2002
Half Moon Bay-Whakaaranga, July 2002
Karaka Bay-Glendowie Beach, Aug 2002
Tahuna Torea, Oct 2002
Tahuna Torea-Pt England, Jan 2003
Pt England-Panmure Wharf, Jan 2003
Bucklands Beach, April 2003
Bucklands-Musick Pt, April 2003
Farm Cove coast, June 2003
Farm Cove coast, July 2003
Panmure Bridge and south, July 2003
Edgewater to Tirakau Drive Bridge, Aug 2003
Waipuna Bridge to Otahuhu, Aug 2003
Panmure Wharf-Panmure Bridge and opposite, Sept 2003
Bucklands Beach, with Richard Willan, Oct 2003
Otahuhu to Middlemore, by boat with Kathryn Hayward and Fraser Morgan, Dec 2003
Seaside Park to Curlew Bay, Jan 2004
West Tamaki Head to Ladies Bay, July 2004
Eastern Beach anticline to Musick Pt, Aug 2004
West Tamaki Head, Margaret Morley and Leslie Newman, Sept 2004
Otara Lake, with Hugh Grenfell and Clare Hayward, Dec 2004
Pakuranga Creek-Waiouru coast, Feb 2005

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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9.2 Appendix 2 – Recent Scientific Name Changes
Recent scientific name changes for common intertidal animals and plants in this report.
Old name
New name
Mollusca:
Aglaja cylindrica Melanochlamys cylindrica
Amaurochiton glaucus Chiton glaucus
Anchomasa similis Barnea similis
Chelidonura aureopunctata Philinopsis taronga
Chlamys zelandiae Talochlamys zelandiae
Crassostrea glomerata Saccostrea cucullata
Crepidula Maoricrypta
Dendrodoris gemmacea Dendrodoris denisoni
Dentalium nanum Antalis nana
Divaricella huttoniana Divalucina cumingii
Estea Pisinna
Gadinalea nivea Gadinia conica
Guildingia obtecta Plaxiphora obtecta
Lepsiella scobina Haustrum scobina
Lithophaga truncata Zelithophaga truncata
Littorina Austrolittorina
Marginella Mesoginella
Marginella pygmaea Mesoginella koma
(in part)
Maurea Calliostoma
Mayena australasia Ranella australasia
Micrelenchus tenebrosus Micrelenchus huttonii
(in part)
Murexsul Muricopsis
Neothais scalaris Dicathais orbita
Nodilittorina Austrolittorina
Notirus Irus
Notoacmea daedala Notoacmea elongata
Notopaphia elegans Irus elegans
Notoplax cuneata Pseudotonicia cuneata
Ostrea lutaria Ostrea chilensis
Paphirus largillierti Ruditapes largillierti
Periploma angasi Offadesma angasi
Pleurobranchaea novaezelandiae Pleurobranchaea maculata
Rostanga rubicunda Rostanga muscula
Rufodardanula Tubbreva
Siphonaria zelandica Siphonaria australis
Struthiolaria vermis Pelicaria vermis
Sypharochiton sinclairi Sypharochiton pelliserpentis
Tellina edgari Tellinota edgari
Terenochiton inquinatus Leptochiton inquinatus
Thais orbita Dicathais orbita
Tiostrea Ostrea
Turbonilla Chemnitzia
Xymena pusillus Xymenella pusilla
Zearcopagia Pseudoarcopagia
Zegalerus tenuis Sigapatella tenuis
Echinodermata:
Arachnoides zelandiae Fellaster zelandiae

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Coscinasterias calamaria Coscinasterias muricata
Ocnus calcarea Australocnus calcarea
Crustacea:
Balanus decorus Notomegabalanus decorus
Balanus tintinnabulum Megabalanus tintinnabulum linzei
Balanus vestitus Notobalanus vestitus
Elminius modestus Austrominius modestus
Elminius plicatus Epopella plicata
Mitella spinosa Calantica spinosa
Ovalipes punctatus Ovalipes catharus
Pagurus novae-zelandiae Pagurus novizelandiae
Plagusia capensis Plagusia chabrus
Tetraclita purpurascens Tetraclitella depressa
Polychaeta:
Hydroides norvegicus Hydroides elegans
Idanthyrsus Paraidanthyrsus
Pomatoceros caeruleus Spirobranchus cariniferus
Sabellaria kaiparaensis Neosabellaria kaiparaensis
Bryozoa:
Watersipora cucullata Watersipora arcuata
Porifera:
Aaptos aaptos Aaptos tentum
Tethya ingalli Tethya australis
Cnidaria:
Corynactis haddoni Corynactis australis
Isactinia tenebrosa Actinia tenebrosa
Ascidians:
Cnemidocarpa bicornuata Cnemidocarpa bicornuta
Fish:
Acanthoclinus quadridactylus Acanthoclinus fuscus
Algae:
Apophloea Apophlaea
Codium adhaerens Codium convolutum
Enteromorpha Ulva
Mesogloea Myriogloea
Pterocladia capillacea Pterocladiella capillacea
Vidalia colensoi Osmundaria colensoi
Vascular plants:
Avicennia marina
var.
resinifera Avicennia marina
Salicornia australis Sarcocornia quinqueflora

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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9.3 Appendix 3 – Species List
List of animal and plant species identified from the intertidal zone from the Tamaki
Estuary and around its mouth and their distribution.
Qualitative assessment of abundance:
a = abundant (c.>10,000 live specimens), c =
common (c.50-10,000 live specimens), f =
frequent (c.6-50 live specimens), o =
occasional (3-5 live specimens), r =
rare (1-2 live specimens), d =
dead wash-up record only,
x = additional records to those recorded in this survey by the authors, from earlier
voucher specimen in Auckland Museum (AK) or Margaret Morley collections, or
published historic records in Larcombe (1973; L), Kingett Mitchell (1996; KM) and Morley
(2002). ’99 =
year of historic record 80s =
decade of historic record
Mollusc names have been updated to follow Spencer et al. (2002).
Key to abbreviations of coastal localities:
AchPt St Heliers to West Tamaki Head (includes Achilles Pt)
WTH West Tamaki Head
Glend Karaka Bay to Tahuna Torea
Waih Tahuna Torea to Point England (includes Waihuna Bay)
Panm Point England to Panmure Bridge
PanB Panmure Basin
PRdP Panmure Basin to Otahuhu Creek (includes Panama Rd Peninsula)
Ota Otahuhu Creek up to Middlemore
Waio Otara Lake, Waiouru Peninsula and Pakuranga Creek
Pak Pakuranga Creek to Panmure Bridge
Farm Panmure Bridge to Half Moon Bay (includes Farm Cove)
BBch Bucklands Beach to Musick Point
East Musick Point to Eastern Beach

TP373 Intertidal life of the Tamaki Estuary and its entrance, Auckland
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Localities: AchPt WTH East Glend BBch Waih Panm Farm PanB Pak PRdP Waio Ota
FORAMINIFERA
Ammobaculites exigua . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Ammonia aoteana . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Ammonia pustulosa . . . . . . . . x . . x .
Ammonia sp. . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Ammotium fragile . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Astrononion novozealandicum . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Bolivina compacta . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Bolivina neocompacta . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Bolivina striatula . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Bolivina subexcavata . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Bulimina elongata . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Buliminella elegantissima . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Cassidulina carinata . . . . . . . . . . . x .
Cornuspira involvens . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Discorbinella bertheloti . . . . . . . . . . . x .
Eilohedra vitrea . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Elphidium advenum . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Elphidium charlottense . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Elphidium excavatum f. clavatum . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Elphidium excavatum f. excavatum . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Elphidium gunteri . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Fissurina lucida . . . . . . . . x . . x .
Haplophragmoides wilberti . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Haynesina depressula . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Jadammina macrescens . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Miliammina fusca . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Miliolinella subrotundata . . . . . . . . x . . . .
Paratrochammina bartrami . . . . . . . . x . . x .
Portotrochammina sorosa . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Quinqueloculina seminula . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Quinqueloculina tenegos . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Scheroshorella moniliforme . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Spiroloxsotoma glabra . . . . . . . . x . . . x
Textularia earlandi . . . . . . . . x . . x x
Trochammina inflata . . . . . . . . x . . x x

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Virgulopsis turris . . . . . . . . . . . x .
MOLLUSCA: POLYPLACOPHORA (chitons)
Acanthochitona zelandica r . o . o . . o . . . . .
Chiton glaucus f f f r o o o o r . . r r
Cryptoconchus porosus f f o r o . . r . . . . .
Ischnochiton maorianus f f f o f r . r . . . . .
Leptochiton inquinatus f f f r r r . r . . . . .
Notoplax mariae r . . . . . . r '88 . . . . .
Notoplax violacea r . o r o r . . . . . . .
Pseudotonicia cuneata . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Sypharochiton pelliserpentis o f c o c o o o o o o . r
MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA (snails)
Alcithoe arabica d . d . r d . d . . . . .
Amalda australis d r f d f o . r . . . . .
Amphibola crenata . . . . d f o c a r d a a
Amphithalamus semen . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Anabathron hedleyi o r r . o . . . . . . . .
Antisolarium egenum . . . . x . . . . . . . .
Austrolittorina antipodum r o o o f o f o . . o . r
Austrolittorina cincta . . . . . r . . . . . . .
Austromitra rubiginosa . . d . x . . . . . . . .
Buccinulum linea o r o . f . . . . . . . .
Buccinulum vittatum o o o . r d . . . . . . .
Bulla quoyii d . d r f o . . . . . . .
Cabestana spengleri r r . . . . . . . . . . .
Caecum digitulum r . . r r . . . . . . . .
Calliostoma pellucidum . . . . d'02 . . . . . . . .
Cellana ornata r . o r o . . . . . . . .
Cellana radians . . r . r d . . . . . . .
Chemnitzia bucknilli . . . r r . . . . . . . .
Chemnitzia sp. o . d . o o d d . . . . .
Cirsonella aff. laxa r . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cirsotrema zelebori . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Cominella adspersa d o o o f o o r . . . r .
Cominella glandiformis o . o o f a a f o o r o o
Cominella maculosa r r . . o . . . . . . . .
Cominella quoyana quoyana d . o d d . . . . . . . .
Cominella virgata o o o . f d . . . . . . .
Crassitoniella carinata d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dicathais orbita d o r r r . . . . . . . .

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Diloma subrostrata d . . . f a a f o f o c o
Diloma zelandica . . . . . . . r'93 . . . . .
Eatoniella albocolumella . o . r . . . . . . . . .
Eatoniella globosa . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Eatoniella limbata f o c c o r . . . . . . .
Eatoniella lutea r o o o o . . . . . . . .
Eatoniella mortoni . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Eatoniella notalabia . . . r . . . . . . . . .
Eatoniella olivacea c o . . o . . . . . . . .
Eatonina atomaria c o f r f r . f . . . . .
Eatonina micans . . . r f . . . . . . . .
Eatonina subflavescens . . . r o . . . . . . . .
Epitonium tenellum d . . . d . . . . . . . .
Eulimella levilirata . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Glyptophysa variabilis . . . . d . . d . . . . .
Haminoea zelandiae . . . o r f . c . o r . .
Haustrum scobina o r c f f . . . d . . . .
Lamellaria ophione . . r . . . . . . . . . .
Leuconopsis obsoleta o . o o . . . . . . . . .
Linopyrga rugata rugata d . r . r . . . . . . . .
Lodderia iota . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Maoricolpus roseus roseus o o f d f d d d . . . . .
Maoricrypta costata f o f f o . . . . . . . .
Maoricrypta monoxyla o o f o o . . . . . . . .
Maoricrypta sodalis . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Marinula filholi . . . . 80s . . . . . . . .
Melagraphia aethiops a a a a c f o f o o o . .
Merelina taupoensis d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mesoginella koma . . d . 50s . . . . . . . .
Micrelenchus huttonii d . . d 80s f o c . . . . .
Muricopsis octogonus . . d . d . . . . . . . .
Neoguraleus interruptus . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Neoguraleus murdochi d . d . d d . . . . . . .
Neoguraleus sinclairi . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Nerita atramentosa o o r f r . r r . . . . .
Notoacmea elongata d . d . f c o c r . o d .
Notoacmea helmsi . . . d o f o o r . . . .
Notoacmea subtilis . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Omalogyra fusca . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Onchidella nigricans f f o o f o c o c f c . o

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Ophicardelus costellaris . . . . . o . o o o . o f
Orbitestella parva . . . . . . . o . . . . .
Pelicaria vermis . . . d d r . d . . . . .
Penion sulcatus . . d . r d . d . . . . .
Philine auriformis . . . . . . . r'78 . . . . .
Pisinna olivacea impressa c . r . o . . . . . . . .
Pisinna zosterophila r r o d f . d . . . . . .
Potamopyrgus estuarinus . . . . . o . o r o . a o
Potamopyrgus pupoides . . . . . c . . . . . c .
Pusillina hamiltoni r . . . . . . . . . . . .
?Rastodens puerilis . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Risellopsis varia o o o f d . . . . . . . .
Rissoella elongatospira . . . . o . . . . . . . .
Rissoina chathamensis d . d . r . . . . . . . .
Scutus breviculus r r . . . . . . . . . . .
Sigapatella novaezelandiae o o f f o d . o o . . . .
Sigapatella tenuis . o . . o . . . . . . . .
Sinezona brevis . . . . 80s . . . . . . . .
Siphonaria australis r r o . o r . . . . . . .
Struthiolaria papulosa . . . d . . . . . . . . .
Trochus tiaratus d o d . d . . . . . . . .
Trochus viridis . o r o o . . . . . . . .
Tubbreva exigua c . c f . . . . . . . . .
Tugali elegans r r . . . . . . . . . . .
Tugali suteri suteri . . . . o . . . . . . . .
Turbo smaragdus a a c o c o f f r . r . .
Xymene plebeius . . d . o f d o . . . . .
Xymenella pusilla . . d d . . . . . . . . .
Zaclys murdochi . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Zalipais lissa . o r . d . . . . . . . .
Zeacolpus pagoda pagoda . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Zeacumantus lutulentus . . . . f a a a a c o a o
Zeacumantus subcarinatus d o o c c c c c c . o . .
Zebittium exile . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Zemitrella choava . . d d r d . . . . . . .
Zemitrella pseudomarginata . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Zerotula ammonitoides . . . . r . . . . . . . .
MOLLUSCA: Nudibranchia/Aplysiidae (sea slugs)
Acanthodoris mollicella . . r r . . . . . . . . .
Alloiodoris lanuginata . r . . . . . . . . . . .

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Berthella medietas r . . . . . . . . . . . .
Berthella ornata r . r . r . . . . . . . .
Bursatella leachii . . . o f o . . . . . . .
Dendrodoris citrina f f o f f r . o . . . . .
Dendrodoris denisoni . . r . . . . . . . . . .
Dendrodoris nigra . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Elysia maoria . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Melanochlamys cylindrica . o . r o . . r'85 . . . . .
Phidiana milleri . . . . r'95 . . . . . . . .
Philinopsis taronga . . . . . r . r'86 . . . . .
Pleurobranchaea maculata . o . . f o . . . . . . .
Rostanga muscula . r r r r . . . . . . . .
MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA
Anomia trigonopsis . r . d d . . d . . . . .
Arthritica bifurca d r d . d d . d r . . KM d
Arthritica crassiformis . AK . . . . . . . . . . .
Atrina zelandica d . r o o r . d . . . . .
Austrovenus stutchburyi d . d f f a c a o o o a f
Bankia australis d . d o . . . r . d r . .
Barnea similis d f f d d d . d . . . . .
Benthocardiella hamatadens . . . . 80s . . . . . . . .
Cleidothaerus albidus r r . . r . . . . . . . .
Corbula zelandica . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Crassostrea gigas a a c c c o f a c o c a c
Cyclomactra ovata d . d d d d d d d . . . .
Cyclomactra tristis . . . . . . . d . d . d d
Diplodonta striatula . . . r 50s . . . . . . . .
Divalucina cumingi . . AK . . . . . . . . . .
Dosina zelandica d r d r o . . . . . . . .
Dosinia greyi . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Dosinia lambata . . d d . . . . . . . . .
Dosinia subrosea d . d d d . . . . . . . .
Felaniella zelandica . AK AK . d d d . . . . . .
Gari convexa . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Gari lineolata . . . d d . . . . . . . .
Gari stangeri d . AK . d . . . . . . . .
Hiatella arctica r o o r . . . . . . . . .
Irus elegans . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Irus reflexus . . r . . . . . . . . . .
Lasaea hinemoa d . o . . . . . . . . . .

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Leptomya retiaria retiaria . . d . d d . . . . . . .
Limaria orientalis d . d d o r . . . . . . .
Lissarca sp. d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Macomona liliana d . d c o a c c r d d d r
Melliteryx parva d . . . d . . . . . . . .
Modiolarca impacta d r r . d . . r . . . . .
Musculista senhousia d . . d c f a c . f . c c
Myadora striata . . . r d . . . . . . . .
Myllita stowei d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mytilus galloprovincialis . r d . d . . . . . . . .
Neolepton antipodum o o o o r . . . . . . . .
Nucula gallinacea d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nucula hartvigiana o r o o f a a a o o d c d
Nucula nitidula r . d . d . . . . . . . .
Offadesma angasi . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Oxyperas elongata . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Ostrea aupouria o f o c f r . . o . . . .
Ostrea chilensis . . . . d d . . . . . . .
Panopea zelandica . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Paphies australis d . d d o c o d o d . d r
Paphies subtriangulata . . . . . . d . d . . . .
Pecten novaezelandiae r . d d d d d d d d . . .
Perna canaliculus f c o o f r r r d . r d .
Peronaea gaimardi . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Pholadidea suteri . . r . . . . . . . . . .
Pholadidea tridens . . d . d . . . . . . . .
Pleuromeris zelandica d . . . . d d . . . . . .
Protothaca crassicosta . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Pseudoarcopagia disculus . . d . . . . . . . . . .
Ruditapes largillierti d . d d d . . . . . . . .
Saccostrea cucullata d . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scintillona zelandica . . r . . . . . . . . . .
Solemya parkinsonii . r . . d d . . . . . . .
Soletellina nitida . . . . d d . . . . . . .
Soletellina siliquens d . . d d d . . . . . . .
Talochlamys zelandiae . . o d . . . . . . . . .
Tawera spissa . . d . d . . . . . . . .
Tellinota edgari . . . . . . . . r . . . .
Theora lubrica . . d o c d o f o o . o d
Tucetona laticostata . . . . d . . . . . . . .

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Venericardia purpurata . . . . d . . . . . . . .
Xenostrobus pulex o o f o c r o o . r r . r
Xenostrobus securis . . . . . r . . o c . c .
Zelithophaga truncata . r d . d . . . . . . . .
Zenatia acinaces . . . . d . . . . . . . .
MOLLUSCA: SCAPHOPODA
Antalis nana d . . . . . . . . . . . .
MOLLUSCA: CEPHALOPODA
squid eggs . . . . r . . . . . . . .
BRACHIOPODA (lamp shells)
Calloria inconspicua . . AK . . . . . . . . . .
ECHINODERMATA: ASTEROIDA (starfish)
Allostichaster polyplax r o . r o o . . . . . . .
Coscinasterias muricata f o o c o o o o . . . . .
Patiriella regularis o f o c f o . . r . . . .
ECHINODERMATA: OPHIUROIDA (brittle stars)
Amphiopolis squamata . . . . . . . r . . . . .
Amphiura sp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ophionereis fasciata r . r r r . . . . . . . .
ECHINODERMATA: ECHINOIDA (sea eggs)
Echinocardium cordatum d . d . . d . . . . . . .
Evechinus chloroticus d r d . r d d d . . . . .
Fellaster zelandica f . f c f f d . . . . . .
ECHINODERMATA: HOLOTHURIA (sea cucumbers)
Stichopus mollis . r . . r . . . . . . . .
Trochodota dendyi . . . . . . . L . . . . .
CRUSTACEA: REPTANTIA (crabs)
Charybdis japonica . . . r o r . . . . . . .
Cyclograpsus lavauxi f c c f c r o f . o r . r
Elamena producta . . . r . f f o . . . . .
Halicarcinus cooki . . . . . . . L . . . . .
Halicarcinus pubescens . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Halicarcinus varius . r r . f . . . . . . . .
Halicarcinus whitei . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Halicarcinus sp. . . . . . . o . . . . . .
Helice crassa . . . . . c c c c a c a a
Hemigrapsus crenulatus . . . . o c c o a f c f c
Hemigrapsus edwardsi . . r . o o . . . . . . f
Heterozius rotundifrons . r r . . o f . . . . KM .
Leptograpsus variegatus . . . . . . . r . . . . .

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Macrophthalmus hirtipes . . . o o a f c a c c o .
Neohymenicus pubescens . . . o . . . . . . . . .
Notomithrax minor d r r d o . . . . . . . .
Notomithrax peronii . . . r . r . r r . . . .
Ovalipes cantharus . . . d . . d . . . . . .
Ozius truncatus . . . r r . . . . . . . r
Paguristes pilosus . . . . . . . AK . . . . .
Pagurus novizelandiae r o o r o o . o . . . . .
Petrolisthes elongatus a c c f f f o f r r r o r
Pilumnopeus serratifrons o o . o . . . o o r . o .
Pilumnus lumpinus . . r . o . . o . . . . .
Pilumnus novaezelandiae . . . o . . . . . . . . .
Pinnotheres atrinocola . . . . 80s . . . . . . . .
Plagusia chabrus . r d d . . . . . . . . .
CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA (shrimps)
Alpheus novaezelandiae o r . r . o o c . o L f o
Alpheus richardsoni . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calianassa filholi . . . . r L . . . . . . .
Hippolyte bifidirostris . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Lysiosquilla spinosa . . . . . L . L . . . . .
Upogebia hiritifrons . . r . . . . . . . . . .
CRUSTACEA: CIRRIPEDIA (barnacles)
Austrominius modestus a a c a c f f c c f c c f
Balanus amphitrite . . . . . . . . . . . r .
Balanus trigonus r . o r o r . d . d . d .
Chamaesipho columna o o . . f . . . . . . . .
Epopella plicata r r r r o . . . . . . . .
Notobalanus vestitus . r . r . . . . . . . . .
Notomegabalanus decorus . . . . f . . . . . . . .
CRUSTACEA: AMPHIPODA
Aora maculata . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Ceradocus chiltoni . o . . . . . . . . . . .
Paradexamine houtete . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Paradexamine pacifica . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Paraphoxus australis . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Photocephalidae sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Polycheria obtusa . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Talorchestia sp. f . . . . . L . . . . . .
CRUSTACEA: ISOPODA
Isocladus armatus . . . . f . . . . . . f .

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Ligia sp. . . . L . . L . . . . . .
Sphaeroma quoyana . . . . . . L o . . . AK .
CRUSTACEA: OSTRACODA
Archasterope cf. dentata . . . x . . . . . . . . .
Euphilomedes sp. . . . x . . . . . . . . .
?Neosidea sp. . . . x . . . . . . . . .
Propontocypris subreniformis . . . x . . . . . . . . .
Scleroconcha aff. arcuata . . . x . . . . . . . . .
ARACHNIDA (spiders)
Desis marina . . r . . . . . . . . . .
POLYCHAETA (worms)
Aedicira sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Aglaophamus macroura . . . . . L . . . . . . .
Armandia maculata . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Capitella capitata . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Chaetopterus o . d o o r d . . . . . .
Cossura sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Eulalia microphylla . AK . . . . . . . . . . .
Eunoe sp. . . . . . . o . . . . . .
Ficopomatus enigmaticus . . . . . . . . . . . o .
Flabelligera affinis o . o r o . . r . . . . .
Flabelligera bicolor . . . . o . . . . . . . .
Glycera americana . AK . . . . . . . . . KM .
Heteromastus filiformis . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Hydroides elegans . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Idanthyrsus pennatus . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Lepidasthenia sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Lepidonotus polychromus . r . . . o o . . . . KM .
Lumbrinereis coccinea . AK . . . . . . . . . KM .
Maldanidae . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Nereis cricognatha . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Nereis jacksoni . . . . . . . . . . . o .
Nicon aestuarinus . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Notomastus zealandicus . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Orbinia papillosa . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Owenia fusiformis . . . . . L . L . . . . .
Pectinaria australis d . . d . d d d . . . . .
Perenereis amblyodonta . AK . . . . . . . . . . .
Perenereis camiguinoides . AK . . . . . . . . . . .
Perenereis nuntia . AK . . . . . . . . . KM .

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Polydora polybranchia . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Sabellastarte sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Scolecolepides sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Scolecolepis sp. . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Spirobranchus cariniferus c f c r c c r c . . . . .
Salmacina australis o . o o o d . o . . . . .
Spionid tubes o . f . . . . a . . . . .
Spirorbis sp. o f f o f d . . . . . . .
Syllidae . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Terebella haplochaeta . . . r . . . . . . . . .
Terebellidae . . r . . r . . . . . . .
Thelepus plagiostoma . AK . . . . o . . . . . .
Timarete anchylochaeta . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
NEMERTEA . AK . r . . . . . . o KM .
PLATYHELMINTHES (flat worms) r r o r . o . r . . . KM r
OLIGOCHAETA . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
PHORONIDA
Phoronis ovalis . . . . . . . L . . . . .
SIPUNCULIDA
Dendrostomum huttoni . AK . . . . . . . . . . .
CNIDARIA (anemones)
Actinothoe albocincta . . . . r o r . . . . KM r
Anthopleura . . . f r a c o . . . o r
Culicia rubeola . o r . r . . . . . . . .
Diadumene neozelanica . r r . r . r . . r . . .
Isactinia olivacea r r . o f o f o . . . KM .
Isactinia tenebrosa r . . r . . . . . . . . .
Oulactis muscosa . r . o . . . . . . . . .
Paractis ferox r r . . . . . . . . . . .
PORIFERA (sponges)
Aaptos tentum f f f f o . . o . . . . .
Ancorina alata . r r r . . . . . . . . .
Cliona celata . r . r . . . . . . . . .
Haliclona sp. . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Hymeniacidon perleve o o . o r . . o r . o . .
Ircinia fasciculata . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Microciona coccinea o . . o o . . r . . . . .
Ophliataspongia seriata . o . . . . . . . . . . .
Polymastia granulosa . . . f . r . . . . . . .
Tethya aurantium o r o o o . . . . . . . .

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Tethya australis . . . . r . . . . . . . .
purple finger sponge r . . . o . . . . . . . .
BRYOZOA
Beania magellanica o . o o o . r r . . r . .
Watersipora arcuata o . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASCIDIA (sea squirts) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aplidium phortax . . . . . . . r . . . . .
Asterocarpa coerulea o o o . o . . . . . . . .
Botryllus schlosseri r . r . . o . . . . . . .
Corella eumyota f o f f o r o o r . . . .
Cnemidocarpa bicornuata c c o o o . . . . . . . .
Hypsistozoa fasmeriana . . . o . . . . . . . . .
Microcosmus claudicans . o . . . . . . . . . . .
Pyura rugosa o . o o o r o f r r o KM .
Styela clavata f f f o o r . . . . . . .
Styela plicata . . f o o o . o . . . . .
HEMICHORDATA
Balanoglossus australiensis . . . . . L . . . . . . .
TELEOSTA (fish)
Acanthoclinus fusus (olive rockfish) o o r o f . . r . . . . .
Aldrichetta forsteri (yellow-eyed mullet) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Arenigobius bifrenatus (Australian bridled goby) . . . . . . . . . . . AK .
Forsterygion lapillum (common triplefin) . . . . f . . . . . . . .
Forsterygion nigripenne (cockabully) . . . . L . . . . . . . .
Forsterygion varium (variable triplefin) o . . . . . . . . . . . .
Galaxias maculatus (inanga) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Girella tricuspidata (parore) . . . . . . . . . . . AK .
Gobiomorphus cotidianus (common bully) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Gobiomorphus gobioides (giant bully) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Gonorynchus gonorynchus (sandfish) . . . . AK . . . . . . . .
Lissocampus filum (pipefish) . . . AK . . . . . . . . .
Mugil cephalus (grey mullet) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Notolabrus celidotus (spotty) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Retropinna retropinna (smelt) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
Rhombosolea leporina (yellow belly flounder) . . . . . . . . . . . KM .
AVES: (birds, feeding intertidally)
Anarhynchus frontalis (wrybill) . . . . . . . o . . . . .
Anas platyrhynchos (mallard duck) . . . . . . . . . c . . o
Ardea novaehollandiae (white-faced heron) . . . . . . . o . . . . r
Columba livia (rock pigeon) . . . . . r . . . . . . .

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Egretta sacra (reef heron) . . . L r . o r . . o . r
Haematopus ostralegus (SI pied oystercatcher) o . o L o f o o . . . . r
Halcyon sancta (kingfisher) . . r L r r . r o . o . r
Himantopus leucocephalus (pied stilt) . . . L . . o o o . . . .
Hydroprogne caspia (caspian tern) . . . . . . . o r . . . .
Limosa lapponica (godwit) . . . . . f o o . . . . .
Larus dominicanus (black-backed gull) r . . r o . o o o . o . o
Larus novaehollandiae (red-billed gull) . . . . c . . c c . o . o
Phalacrocorax varius (pied shag) . . o L r . . o o . o . .
Porphyrio melanotus (pukeko) . . . . . r . o . . o . .
Sturnus vulgaris (starling) . . . . . . . . o . . . r
REPTILE
Turtle indet . . . . ‘03-04 . . . . . . . .
MAMMALIA
Arctocephalus forsteri (NZ fur seal) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Delphinus delphis (common dolphin) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Orcinus orca (orca) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
whale indet. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLANTAE (vascular plants)
Atriplex prostrata . . . . . . . o o . . . r
Austrostipa stipoides (needle tussock) . . . . . . . f . . . . .
Avicennia marina (mangrove) . . . . . c r c o a c a a
Cassinia leptophylla . . . . . . . r . . . r .
Chrysanthemoides monilifera . . . . . c . . . . . . .
Cortaderia splendens . . . . . r . o . . . f .
Cotula cornopifolia . . . . . o . . r . . r .
Cyperus ustulatus . . . . . r o o f . . . o
Disphyma australe . . . . . o . o . . . . .
Isolepis nodosa . . . . . . . . . . . r .
Juncus maritimus var australiensis . . . . . r . f f . . o o
Leptocarpus similis . . . . . f . o . r . o .
Lobelia anceps . . . . . . . . . . . . r
Muehlenbeckia complexa . . . . . . . o . . . . .
Plagianthus divaricatus . . . . . o . o . . . o r
Samolus repens . . . . . f . f f f . f r
Sarcocornia quinqueflora . . . . . o o c o f o o f
Selliera radicans . . . . . . . f o . . o r
Senecio lautus . . . . . . . r . . . . .
Spartina sp. . . . . . . . . . . . . o
Spinifex sericeus . . . . . o . . . . . . .

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Zostera muelleri r o r a . o . . . . . . .
LICHENS
Parmotrema perlata . . . . . o . . . . . . r
Ramalina celasteri . . . . . f f f . . . o o
Teloschistes sp. . . . . . f . r . . . r o
Usnea sp. . . . . . o . . . . . r .
Xanthoria parietina . . . . . . o . . . o . o
ALGAE
Apophlaea sinclairii . . . . o . . . . . . . .
Arthrocardia corymbosa o . o . . . . . . . . . .
?Bachelotia antillarum . . . . . o . . . . . . .
Boodlea mutabile r . o . o . . . . . . . f
Caloglossa leprieurii . . . . . . . . c . . . .
Carpophyllum mascholocarpum f c o r f . . o . . . . .
Carpophyllum plumosum . . . . o . . . . . . . .
Catenella nipae . . . . . f . . . . o c f
Caulerpa geminata r . . r . . . . . . . . .
Chaetomorpha ?aerea . o . . . . . . . . . . .
Chaetomorpha capillaris . . . . . o . f . . r . .
Chaetomorpha coliformis . . . . . . . . r . . . .
Chaetomorpha ?linum . . . . . . . o . . . . .
Cladophoropsis herpestica . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Codium convolutum o o r r o . . o . . . . .
Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides o f o r o c r f . . . . .
Colpomenia peregrina f . c f o o . o . . . . .
Colpomenia durvillaei . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Colpomenia sp. . r . . . . . . . . . . .
Corallina officinalis turf c c c f f . . c . . . . .
Corallina paint f c o . . . . . . . . . .
Cystophora retroflexa . . c . . . . . . . . . .
Derbesia novae-zelandiae . . o . . . . . . . . . .
Dictyota dichotoma . . . . . . o . . . . . .
Dictyota ocellata . . o . o r . . . . . . .
Ecklonia radiata f f o f o r . r . . . . .
Gelidium caulacantheum . f o . o . . . . . . . .
Gigartina chapmanii o . o c . f o . o o r o o
Gigartina laingii . . . o f . . c . . . . .
Gracilaria chilensis . . . . . o . . . . . . .
Grateloupia urvilleana . . . . r . . . . . . . .
Haliptilon roseum o . o . . . . . . . . . .

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Hormosira banksii c f a f a c f a . . . . .
Hydroclathrus clathratus . . . r d . . . . . . . .
Laurencia distichophylla . o . . . . . . . . . . .
Laurencia thyrsifera r . o . . . . . . . . . .
Myriogloea intestinalis . . . . . o . . . . . . .
Petalonia fascia . . . . r . . . . . r . .
Plocamium microcladioides . . . . r . . . . . . . .
?Polysiphonia sp. . . . . . . . r . . . . .
Pterocladiella capillacea r . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pterocladia lucida r r . . . . . . . . . . .
Rhizoclonium implexum . . . f f f . . o . . . .
Rhizoclonium riparium . . . . . . . . o . . . .
Sargassum scabridum . c . . . . . . . . . . .
Sargassum sinclairii c . c c o . . f . . . . .
Scytosiphon lomentaria . . o . . r . . . . . . .
Scytothamnus australis . o . . o r r o . . r . .
Splachnidium rugosum o . f . o . . . . . . . .
Ulva bulbosa . . . . . . . . . . . . o
Ulva compressa r . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ulva intestinalis o . f . f f . . o o . f .
Ulva lactuca r . r . . f . o . . r o .
Ulva ralfsii? . . . . f . . . . . . o .
Ulva ramulosa o . o o . o . . . . . . .
Ulva sp. (narrow) . . . o . . . . . . . . .
Ulva sp. (leafy) . . . . . . . . . . . r .
BACTERIA
Cyanobacteria f . f a a a . . . . . f .

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9.4 Appendix 4 – Number of Species in Different Taxonmic Groups
Foraminifera 36
Molluscs (total) 202
Polyplacophora (chitons) 9
Gastropoda (snails, sea slugs) 119
Bivalvia 72
Scaphopoda (tusk shells) 1
Cephalopoda (squid) 1
Brachiopoda (lampshells) 1
Echinodermata (total) 11
Asteroidea (starfish) 3
Ophiuroidea (brittle stars) 3
Echinoidea (sea eggs) 3
Holothurian (sea cucumbers) 2
Crustacea (total) 51
Reptantia (crabs) 27
Decapoda (shrimps) 6
Cirripedia (barnacles) 7
Amphipoda (sand hoppers) 8
Isopoda (sea slaters) 3
Ostracoda (sea fleas) 5
Arachnida (spiders) 1
Polychaeta (worms) 42
Nemertea 1
Platyhelminthes 1
Oligochaeta 1
Phoronida 1
Sipunculida 1
Cnidaria (anemones) 8
Porifera (sponges) 12
Bryozoa 2
Ascidea (sea squirts) 10
Hemichordata 1
Reptilia (turtle) 1
Mammalia 4
Teleosts (fish) 16
Aves (birds) 15
Vascular plants 24
Lichens 5
Algae (seaweeds) 57
TOTAL 503

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9.5 Appendix 5 – Intertidal and Subtidal Biota and Habitats of the Tamaki Estuary