A PECULIAR FISH

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 42

A PECULIAR FISH

HABITS OF THE KOARA. A NATURAL HISTORY MARVEL. (Fbom Oub Own Cobbebpokdint.) ? AUCKLAND, January 3. It "has been known to some Europeans i for some years past that a small fish of peculiar habits, which Maoris call the Koara, is to be found in Lake Rotoaira, but no one appears to have investigated its mode of life and origin. Interesting particulars regarding the koara have recently been obtained from old Maoris of Roto p.ira by Mr J. Cullen, 1.5.0., honorary warden of the Tongariro Park. Maoris who live close to the lake, stated to Mr Cullen that early in November in each year millions of koara emerge from the Laiderground strexms which feed the lake end spread themselves all over the lake in small shoals, where they remain till about the end of March. They then all leave the lake and disappear up underground streams, and do not again appear- till the 'following November, when they emerge from their underground retreat. They are darker in colour than whitebait, and in lather poor condition, but after being a short time in the lake they become quite well conditioied and quite reddish in colour.; The largest size they attain is between five pnd six inches in length, and full grown and fry come out together. Although migration into the Jake commences in November, it continues right through the summer until the time approach's when the fish begin to return again underground. They go about the lake in small shoals of from 200 to 300, and these shoals are shaped somewhat like a landing net; that is to say, they are circular towards the surface of the water and taper downwards to one fish at the bottom, but the Maoris cannot say whether the one at the bottom is the pilot of the shoal or otherwise. They invariably come into the lake from their underground haunts in the nightime, and when leaving at the end of March they return again to these haunts during the hours of darkness. Possibly ins'tinot teaches them that they should come out when it is dark, so as to gradually accustom their sight to the light after thou? prolonged stay underground. The saraa instinct may guida them to return to therr underground retreat while it is dark. Ihe koara is much sought after by the Maoris as an article of food, and to catch the fish they erect weirs across the outlets of the streams, leaving numerous openings in which they fix nets made of flax. A European who knows this fish well stated. to M* Culien that it is infested with the parasiticworm that has been found so much in evidence in trout in the Taupo and Ilotorua Lakes. The Maoris state that the koara does not exist in any other water in the dominion. .