An invasive water pest, the Mediterranean Fanworm, has been discovered in Tauranga Harbour.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council says the worm was found on a rock near bathing sheds at Pilot Bay by a University of Waikato diver earlier this month.
The council says it will now be surveying the harbour to see if there are more.
Manager of natural resource operations Warwick Murray says the pest was most likely brought there on the hull of a boat.
He says, at this stage, only a single specimen has been found.
The Mediterranean fanworm can grow in dense, thick mats that compete with native plants and animals for nutrients and space.
