THE KOARA.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16412, 4 January 1919, Page 9

THE KOARA.

A LITTLE KNOWN FISH

It lias teen known to sorao Europeans for years post that a small fish, of peculiar ha J} its, which the Maoris call the . Ivoara, is to l>o found at Roto Aira, but no one appears to have investigated its modes of ljfo and origin (writes our Auckland correspondent). Interesting particulars regarding the Koara have recently been obtained from the old Maoris of Koto Aira by Sir J. Cullon, 1.5.0., honorary warden of ( Tongariro Park. Hoto Aira is a lake between four and five miles long, with a width of from two and a half to three miles. It lies in a valloy between tho extinct volcanic cones .of Kakaramea and Pilianga on its northern side, and" the active volcano of Tongariro on the south, lloto Airo is fed almost ontirely by largo underground streams which flow into it on a level through natural tunnels. The largest of these streams are the Waione, which flows in from under Kakaramoa, and the Mapounki, which flows in from under Tongariro. Tho Maoris, who live close to the lake, stated to Mr Cullen that early in *N ovomber in each year millions of, Jvoiu*fl einorgo from these underground; streamc and spread themselves all over the lake in small shoals, where they remain till about the 1 end of March. Then they all leavo the lake and disappear up tht underground streams referred to, an& do not again appear till tho following November, when they emerge from, thcit ■ retreat. Thoy are darker in colour thaE whitebait, and in rather poor condiI tion, but after being a time in,the,lake, they become quite well conditioned and quite reddish in colour. Tho largest size they attain is between five and mx inches,' and the full-grown and •the fry come out together. /They invariably come into-, tho lake from their underground haunts in the nighttime, and when leaving at the end of March return again u>,these haunts during the hours of dark-v ness. Possibly instinct teaches them that they should come out when it is • dark so as to gradually accustom their sight to the light after their prolonged stay underground. As they remain in their winter quarters for more than half the year, it would be interesting to know what they live on during feuch a prolonged period of retirement. Tho Maqris Btate they are satisfied the Ivoara spawn in their dark caverns, and this opinion is borne out by the fact that the fish are quite red in colour and in good condition when they disappear from the lake, and are dark in colour and in poor condition when they return in the spring. Then, too. they are accompanied by millions of fry, none of which is larger than a whitebait, which they very much resemble. 4 - The oldest Natives living at Roto Aira state that early in November, about sixty years ago, loud rumblings and detonations were heard from Tongariro, and soon afterwards large numbers of dead Koara floated out of the Mapouriki outlet, but no dead fißh came out of the Waione streapi. The Koara is much sought after by the Maoris as an article of f6od, and to catch, the fish they erect weirs across the outlets of tho streams, leaving numerous openings in which they fix. nets made of flax. At one time the; Maoris were much concerned, as they feared that the lake would bo stocked with trout, which would destroy the Koara. They therefore obtained an undertaking from the Government of the day that under no circumstances would trout be liberated in Roto Aira, and none has been liberated there np to the present. Old Natives state that the Koara is as numerous now as it was 60 years ago. The Poutu river is the outlet of the waters of the la.-e, and as this river pitches over a waterfall of considerable height shortly after leaving the lake, it is obvious that neither tho Koara or any other fish can enter tho lake by that stream. A European who knows this _ nsh well, stated to Mr Cullen that it is infested with the parisitic germ that has been found so much in evidence in the trout in Taupo and llotorua. Ihe theory has therefore been advanced that it is the source of the pan site in the trout. Tho Poutu is a tributary of tho Tongariro, which empties into Lako Taupo, and no doubt Koara lire carried from Roto Aira into the Poutu, especially in flood-time, and from there to the Tongariro, whore the trout in that river, Mr Cullen states, could become affected, and carry tho disease into Taupo. Moreover, he adds, shags come from Taupo to Roto Aim, the distance of flight between Tokaanu and the latter place being about seven miles, so here again he considers might be another means of carrying the infection. •' The Maoris state tliat/the Koara does not exist in' 1 any other water in the Dominion. /