Oreo (OEO)

Our oreo catch is made up of four different oreo species: black, smooth, spiky and warty oreo. These species are managed together under the Quota Management System as one group, but stocks are assessed according to species and location. Science indicates oreo catches and catch limits are sustainable across all of New Zealand’s major deepwater oreo fishing grounds.

Common Name

Oreo

Scientific Name

Pseudocyttus maculatus (smooth oreo); Allocyttus niger (black oreo); Neocyttus rhomboidalis (spiky oreo); Allocyttus verucosus (warty oreo)

Ministry Code

OEO

Quick Facts

  • Trawl fishery (found 600-1,500m)
  • Managed according to five fishing areas (OEO 1, OEO 3A, OEO 4, OEO 6, and OEO 10 which is not harvested) and assessed according to the separate oreo species (smooth, black, spiky, and warty) within these
  • DWG represents OEO 1-6 and 94% of their total quota
  • New Zealand has four species – black, smooth, spiky, and warty oreo
  • Live near seabed in deepwater, feeding on soft-bodied plankton and crustaceans
  • Breed around 30-40 years, slow-growing, and live to 80-100 years
  • Firm white flesh that holds together when cooked