blue moki spawn lasts about six months; from there juveniles are then found inshore in coastal rocky reefs, whereas adults tend to school offshore over open bottom areas. There are some adults that tend to remain on coastal reefs in shallower waters New Zealand. Blue moki mortality other than for commercial fishing reasons is low. Diet and foraging Blue moki feeds at the bottom, on a wide range of benthic invertebrates. It consumes a mouthful of turfing substrate, it then winnows out the prey. Blue moki intestines are often found with ingested sand and mud. This is a result of them feeding on benthic species such as crabs, gastropod, bivalve molluscs, polychaete worms and Munida gregaria. They also feed on juvenile sea urchins. Juvenile blue moki are located on reefs and eat small crustaceans amongst seaweeds, while adults prey on crabs, other crustaceans, shellfish and worms, which they suck from the sand or mud. Predators Blue moki are seen as a ‘game’ fish in New Zealand and are commercially fished, this is why Humans are seen as one of blue moki's predators. Blue moki stocks were seriously depleted in New Zealand in 1975. Humans are the blue moki's largest predator, which fishes them commercially using set nets in the areas between East Cape and Kaikoura. Catches have been consistent at around 400 tonne per year; fish mortality other than commercial fishing is low. Moki are also caught recreationally through spear fishing and boat fishing in small catch. Parasites Cultural use Maori view blue moki as having special significance in community and life believing that blue moki spawn in Cape runaway and that there are traditional fishing grounds for blue moki where customary fishing practices took place in earlier times. Iwi also consider fishing blue moki by set nets in the area a cultural offence. Commercial fisheries Blue moki is mostly caught on the east coast of New Zealand between Otara and Kaikoura it is a low value fishery. The commercial catch is caught as a bycatch of trawling and set netting for other target species. There are management practices in place for the blue moki fisheries such as a minimum catch size of 40 cm, area restrictions on certain types of fishing methods and a minimum net size of 114mm for target set net fishing of blue moki Recreational fisheries Blue moki are a very popular fish targeted by recreational