Kopua
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| Kopua | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A Deepwater Clingfish, Kopua kuiteri, found in an empty shell trawled off Bermagui, New South Wales - depth 305-311 m | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Gobiesocidae |
| Subfamily: | Protogobiesocinae |
| Genus: | Kopua Hardy, 1984 |
| Type species | |
| Kopua nuimata Hardy 1984[1] | |
Kopua is a genus of clingfishes found in the Pacific Ocean.
Kopua are a genus of clingfishes belonging to the family Gobiesocidae. Fish belonging to this genus are found in the Pacific Ocean, around New Zealand, Australia, and the East China Sea.[2][3] The genus got its name “Kopua” from the Maori language; the name literally means “deep water”.[2] There are currently five known species of the genus:[3] Kopua numinata is found in the northern waters of New Zealand, Kopua kuiteri is found in southern Australian waters, Kopua minima and Kopua yoko are found in the East China Sea, Kopua vermiculata is found in the Sagami-nada Sea. The presence of Kopua in the Northern Hemisphere shows evidence of anti tropicality of fish within the family Gobiesocidae.[4] All species are found in waters deeper than 90 m (300 ft), ranging from 90–408 m (300–1,340 ft) in depth.[3] The genus was discovered through a trawling net of the ocean floor.[4] Not much is known about the genus’ habitat, except for the depth that the fish generally seem to reside, or the diet and behavior of the fish.