The Spotted Shag catches fish in coastal waters around New Zealand. Adults in breeding plumage have spots and a crest.
Breeding adults have small black spots on their pale silver-grey and brown back and wings, with pale grey-blue underparts. They have a double crest and broad white stripes running from above the eyes down both sides of the neck.
It dives for fish in coastal waters and breeds in groups on coastal ledges and rocks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.