Greenbone
Acrylic on canvas 300x610x15mm (12x24x0.5in). Varnished. Unframed. $330.
The greenbone, marari or butterfish, never strays far from the swirling kelp. It has long fins that drift with the fronds, making a perfect camouflage. A close look reveals that its black skin is etched with silver and gold tracings.
Red gurnard
Acrylic on canvas 305x405x15mm(12x16x0.5in). Varnished. Unframed. SOLD
Red gurnard or kumukumu seem to be an impossible creature with their gaudily coloured wings and spindly legs, but hey are a common fish around our coasts.
Kingfish
Acrylic on canvas 610x405x15mm (24x16x0.5in). Varnished. Unframed. $290
Kingfish or Haku are a dramatic sight when seen in the shallows, fins out of the water, slashing through schools of small fish. These large powerful fish can however sometimes cruise languidly in packs, almost like dolphins.
Yellow eyed mullet
Acrylic on canvas 200x405x35mm (8x16x1.5in). Varnished. Unframed. $140.
Yellow eyed mullet, Makawhiti, herring, or sprat, are a small silvery fish, seen often in shallow inlets and river mouths. They forage in large groups, each fish an individual, and yet attuned to a shared instinct that moves the school as one.
Snapper
Acrylic on canvas 500x800x16 (20×31.5×0.5in). Varnished. Unframed. SOLD.
Snapper or Tamure are a well known fish, but few people have seen them ‘lit up’ – when patches above their eyes and fins glow electric blue. What messages are they sending each other?
Goatfish
crylic on canvas 305x405x15mm(12x16x0.5in). Varnished. Unframed. $170.
Goatfish, āhuruhuru or red mullet are possibly the most brightly coloured fish in our waters. While some fish are simply red or orange and white, others are an unlikely mix of hot pink, electric blue and purple. Add to this long chin barbells that quest for food through the sand and you have a remarkable apparition.
Luke Heal Art 