Bluenose
Māori Name: matiri
Name Scientific: Hyperoglyphe antarctica
Availability: Year round
Attributes Weight: 5–6kg, up to 20kg
Attributes Length: 60–100cm, reaching 130cm
Location
They are found in the temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere. They like rough ground on the outer shelf and upper slope, especially from 100 to 500 metres.
Attributes Physical
Dark metallic blue-black to grey on the back of the body, shading to silver on the sides and belly. Bluenose is distinguished from Hapuku/Groper by a blunt snout and laterally compressed body with large eyes set low in the head. Bluenose have larger mouths and more prominent dorsal fins than (closely related) Warehou.
Family
Bluenose belong to the Centrolophidae family (raftfish, medusafish).
Spawning
They grow quickly for the first two years, the females faster than the males, with adults first spawning at four to five years.
Sustainability
Bluenose have been landed from New Zealand waters since the 1930s, although the bluenose target line fishery only developed in the late 1970s. Bluenose was introduced to the Quota Management System in 1986; the first fully quantitative stock assessment modelling was carried out in 2011 and assumed a single New Zealand wide biological stock. The assessment indicated that the stock abundance dropped below the management target level in the early 2000s, and a series of catch reductions was implemented to rebuild the stock.
Fishing Methods
Bluenose are caught year round, by trawl and longlining, mainly around or on offshore reefs or drop-off areas. Many are caught in association with seamounts.
Did You Know
Bluenose are caught mainly around or on offshore reefs or areas where the sea floor slopes steeply, for example, on seamounts.
Recipe Notes
Bluenose flesh has medium to thick moist flakes and can be cooked using most methods - try it: baked; on the bbq; marinated; poached; in soup/chowder; or fried.
Storage Tips
When buying whole bluenose, always check the... EYES: Bright and clear cornea, shiny black pupil GILLS: Rosy pink pastel coloured gills SKIN: Bright, with a luminous sheen When buying bluenose fillets, always check the... FLESH: semi-transparent and glossy If the fish looks sticky or mushy then it is not fresh.