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Common native fish species that are rare in New Zealand rivers with high suspended solids (SS) concentrations were identified to determine which species were likely to be most affected by high SS concentrations. Mortality rates for the three most sensitive species (banded kokopu Galaxias fasciatus, redfin bully Gobiomorphus huttoni, common smelt Retropinna retropinnd) were measured over a range of SS concentrations to identify lethal concentrations. The survival of banded kokopu and redfin bully was not reduced by SS concentrations up to 43 000 g m−3; however, the 24‐h survival of common smelt was reduced by SS concentrations over 1000 g m−3, and its median lethal concentration (LC50) was close to 3000 g m−3. SS concentrations over 3000 g m−3 for more than 24 h will therefore reduce smelt but not affect the mortality of most other common native fish species. Although mortality from high concentrations of SS can account for the scarcity of smelt in rivers with high SS concentrations, mortality fro...

The acute toxicity of un‐ionised ammonia to seven New Zealand indigenous fish and one indigenous crustacean species was established. Shrimp (Paratya curvirostris) was the most sensitive species, followed by banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus), common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus), common smelt (Retropinna retropinna), redfin bully (G. huttoni), inanga (Galaxias maculatus), and longfin and shortfin eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii and A. australis). The 96 h LC50 at 15°C and pH 7.5 and pH 8.1 ranged from 0.75 to 2.35 mg NH3 I−1 for these species. Unusually, New Zealand fish were more tolerant to ammonia than some native invertebrate species tested by a similar method. Within the limits of the life stages and species tested here, adequate protection is provided for native fish by adopting US Environmental Protection Agency ammonia criteria.