Widely distributed in the country's coastal waters, extending from the Bay of Islands, Northland, to Stewart Island in the south. Three geographical groupings were seen along the north-east coast of the North Island, around Cook Strait, and at Fiordland and Stewart Island, and these probably reflect sampling intensity; and the species is likely to also occur along the east coasts of both islands where habitat is favourable. However, its apparent absence from the west coasts, other than Fiordland, may be real and may reflect the lack of its preferred habitat of sheltered rocky reefs, although collecting effort has been low in some west coast areas. The species has not been collected at the Chatham Islands, despite sampling at 17 rotenone stations at 0-21 m depth (Ref. 57647).