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Endemic biota of the Auckland Region

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The Auckland region of New Zealand is home to numerous endemic flora and fauna. Many of these species have ranges restricted to the Waitākere Ranges, Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island and the Mokohinau Islands. A number of species have restricted ranges that include areas outside of the Auckland region, such as Buller's shearwater and Pycroft's petrel, or organisms such as the brown teal / pateke and stitchbird / hihi which have recently increased ranges due to conservation efforts.

Currently no freshwater fish species are known to be endemic to the Auckland region.[1]

Endemic species

Species below have been described as endemic to the Auckland region.

More information Image, Common name(s) ...
ImageCommon name(s)Scientific nameType of organismDistributionNotes
Celmisia major var. major plant Waitākere Ranges, Great Barrier Island group Found in coastal cliff faces in the Waitākere Ranges (Muriwai to Cornwallis), as well as Aiguilles Island, Great Barrier Island, where it may be extinct, and Kaikōura Island.[2][3]
Mokohinau gecko Dactylocnemis "Mokohinau" reptile Mokohinau Islands Currently an undescribed species[4]
Little Barrier giant wētā, wētāpunga Deinacrida heteracantha insect Little Barrier Island Formerly found on the mainland in Northland region and Auckland region.[5] Captive breeding programmes have established populations on Motuora and Tiritiri Matangi Island.[6]
New Zealand storm petrel Fregetta maoriana bird Little Barrier Island The bird's only known breeding sites are found on Little Barrier Island.[7]
Mokohinau stag beetle Geodorcus ithaginis insect Mokohinau Islands Currently only known from a single sea stack in the island group.[8]
Great Barrier Island kānuka Kunzea sinclairii plant Great Barrier Island Often found in gorges and cliffs of central Great Barrier Island.[9][3]
Waitakere scurvy grass Lepidium amissum† plant Waitākere Ranges The species is extinct, last observed in 1917. It was formerly found along coastal cliffs of the Waitākere Ranges.[10][3]
Libertia flaccidifolia plant Rodney Previously thought to be restricted to Mount Tamahunga, the species may also be present in southern Northland region.[11][12][3]
Lindbergia maritima plant Waitākere Ranges Moss species known from one locality in the Waitākere Ranges.[13][14]
Mecodema aoteanoho insect Great Barrier Island Typically found in broadleaf forests of Great Barrier Island.[15]
Mecodema dunnorum insect Rodney Found in native forest reserves near Puhoi in Rodney.[16]
Mecodema haunoho insect Little Barrier Island Typically found in the broadleaf forests of southwestern Little Barrier Island.[16]
Migas insularis spider Little Barrier Island Known only to occur on Little Barrier Island, type specimen found on the Tom Thumb Track.[17]
Migas minor spider Waitākere Ranges Known from a single female specimen, found inside a tree trunk in the Waitākere Ranges.[17]
Migas sandageri spider Mokohinau Islands May also be present on the Poor Knights Islands.[17][18]
Waitakere forget-me-not Myosotis pansa subsp. pansa plant Waitākere Ranges Found in coastal cliff faces in the Waitākere Ranges.[3]
Neoramia finschi spider Auckland Known only to occur in the Auckland area.[19]
Stanwellia hapua spider Little Barrier Island Known only to occur on Little Barrier Island, type specimen found on the Little Barrier Island summit track.[17]
Great Barrier tree daisy Olearia allomii plant Great Barrier Island group
chevron skink, niho taniwha Oligosoma homalonotum reptile Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island Currently restricted to Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island, the species was formerly found in Northland region on the mainland.[4][20]
Black petrel, tāiko, tākoketai, Parkinson's petrel Procellaria parkinsoni bird Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island The bird's only known breeding sites are located on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island.[7]
Northern Cook's petrel Pterodroma cookii cookii bird Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island The subspecies is known to breeding only on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island.[7]
Mokohinau groundsel Senecio pokohinuensis plant Mokohinau Islands Commonly found in association with petrel breeding grounds in the Mokohinau Islands.[21][3]
Waitākere rock koromiko Veronica bishopiana plant Waitākere Ranges Commonly found on stream sides and cliff faces.[22][3]
Riverhead speedwell Veronica jovellanoides plant Rodney Exclusive to the Ernest Morgan Reserve in Riverhead Forest.[23][3]
Veronica pubescens subsp. rehuarum plant Great Barrier Island Typically found in open coastal areas or scrubland.[24][3]
Veronica pubescens subsp. sejuncta plant Mokohinau Islands, Little Barrier Island Typically found in open coastal areas or scrublands.[24][3]
Korowai gecko, Muriwai gecko Woodworthia korowai reptile Muriwai Beach, Oaia Island Primarily found in sand dunes on Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula and on Oaia Island[25]
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Near, former or potentially endemic species

The species listed below variously have ranges that are close to endemic to the Auckland region, were formerly restricted to the Auckland region, or may potentially be endemic.

More information Image, Common name(s) ...
ImageCommon name(s)Scientific nameType of organismDistributionNotes
brown teal, pāteke Anas chlorotis bird New Zealand Historically restricted to Auckland region and Northland region,[26] the species is now present in the South Island.[27]
Buller's shearwater Ardenna bulleri bird Hauraki Gulf Has breeding sites across the Hauraki Gulf[7]
Dictyomeridium neureuterae lichen Ōtata Island, the Noises As of 2024 has only been identified on the bark of Pseudopanax lessonii on Ōtata Island.[28]
Great Barrier inaka Dracophyllum patens plant Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula Found primarily above 300 m (980 ft) above sealevel in rhyolitic soil on Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.[29]
Sinclair's tamingi Epacris sinclairii plant Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula Found primarily above 300 m (980 ft) above sealevel in rhyolitic soil on Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.[30]
Hierodoris huia insect Waitākere Ranges Currently only two observations of the species have been made, in the vicinity of Titirangi.[31]
Ichneutica peridotea insect Auckland region While all observations of the species have been made in the Auckland region, it is suspected to also live in the Northland region.[15]
Microscydmus lynfieldi insect Lynfield Currently the species had only been identified in the vicinity of Lynfield.[32]
stitchbird, hihi Notiomystis cincta bird New Zealand Historically common across New Zealand, by the 20th century had become restricted to Little Barrier Island. Since 1991, the species has been reintroduced to islands and sanctuaries.[33]
Jacinda's barnacle lichen Ocellularia jacinda-arderniae lichen Auckland Region Found growing primarily on coastal tanekaha north and west of Auckland.[34]
pale flowered kūmarahou Pomaderris hamiltonii plant Northland region, Rodney, Great Barrier Island, Pūkorokoro / Miranda Found primarily around Pūkorokoro / Miranda in the Waikato Region, the Pouto Peninsula of Northland, around Warkworth, and on Great Barrier Island.[35]
Pycroft's petrel Pterodroma pycrofti bird Hauraki Gulf Has breeding sites across the Hauraki Gulf[7]
Pyrenula moniliformis lichen Auckland Currently only known only to occur in the Auckland area, but theorised to be present in other regions.[36]
Ramalodium dumosum lichen Huia Identified at one location near Huia, the lichen has since not been identified.[37][38]
New Zealand fairy tern, tara-iti Sternula nereis davisae bird Northland region, Auckland region One major breeding site in the Auckland region.[7]
northern hebe Veronica obtusata plant Waitākere Ranges, Kawhia Harbour, Whāingaroa Harbour Found primarily on steep slopes and banks, on cliff faces and rock stacks.[39]
Zelostemma thorpei insect Waitākere Ranges Currently the species has only been identified around Huia and the northern shores of the Manukau Harbour.[40][41]
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