The composition, distribution and origin of the New Zealand fish fauna

[First paragraphs...]
It is proposed to present here a summary, based largely on the literature, of knowledge to date of a number of aspects of the fauna which may be of interest to zoogeographers, ecologists and marine biologists in general.
New Zealand's geographic position, extending through 1,000 miles of latitude, results in relatively warm northern and cool southern oceanic conditions which, not surprisingly, are reflected in the character of the fish fauna. This statement, however, applies only to the shore fishes and is in some other respects also a very general statement.