WELLINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's elusive Northland mudfish has been named Fish of the Year 2026 after a dramatic late surge in public voting, becoming the first freshwater and smallest species to win the nationwide contest.
Organized by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the contest aims to raise public awareness about native fish species and their conservation status, similar to the popular Bird of the Year vote.
This year's poll saw a record 5,896 New Zealanders cast their votes. Once trailing outside the top ten, the 15-cm mudfish surged ahead in the final 24 hours, fueled by a social media push and backing from New Zealand's Northland Regional Council.
The victory dethroned last year's viral winner, the blobfish, known for its "ugliness," and saw the mudfish outpace larger marine rivals, including the great white shark, whale shark, longfin eel and big-belly seahorse.
Conservation groups hope the spotlight will help raise awareness of New Zealand's rapidly vanishing wetlands, more than 90 percent of which have been lost.
"We urgently need to protect and restore wetlands and riparian areas across the country to give freshwater fish like the Northland mudfish a fighting chance," said Samara Nicholas, co-director of the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.
The annual Fish of the Year contest invites public votes for overlooked species that deserve attention, according to the trust's website, and public voting ran from Feb. 28 through March 15 this year. ■