The Kokopu.
The kokopu, sometimes called native trout, although it is not a trout, was very plentiful in Lake Taupo when Europeans came to New Zealand. It was one of the chief food supplies of the large Maori population in the district. Visitors to the lake in the early days sometimes saw kokopus washed up on the shores in cartloads. Brown trout were introduced into the lake about forty years ago and rainbow trout were introduced thirty-two years ago. Rainbow trout rapidly displaced the brown trout, only a few of which remain; and Mr. J. S. Armstrong, who has studied in lake biologically, reports that the kokopu has been almost exterminated in those waters. Young kokopus may still be seen near the edge of the lake, but they are harried by shags, and young trout grab the food they need, with the result that their numbers decrease steadily. Rainbow trout evidently find perfect conditions in the lake.
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Bibliographic details
Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 271, 21 November 1935, Page 4
Word Count
157The Kokopu. Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 271, 21 November 1935, Page 4
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