Notoriously good fighters, moki feed in a number of habitats and they like shellfish, crustaceans and small baitfish; they have even been known to browse on some seaweeds. Most WSAC members claim crayfish is the number-one bait for blue moki, which live to around 30 years and can grow to some 90cm in length. Mussel and tuatuas are other good baits.
Moki tend to feed at night around the shoreline, especially where there are lumps of foul ground to give them cover among sandy territory. Maori prize them highly as eating fish and have a special season for them in autumn, when they are caught in good numbers in deeper water off the eastern Bay of Plenty coast.
From a culinary perspective, the flesh holds together well, making it a popular table fish. It is best eaten as fillets, which are removed in the same way you would deal with a snapper or similar shaped fish. Moki can be poached, smoked, steamed, baked and fried.