HABITS OF EELS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 224, 16 February 1928, Page 5

HABITS OF EELS.

IN WAIKATO WATERS. Taniwha or Pumice ? At the meeting of the Acclimatisation Society on Thursday last, an interesting discussion on eels followed a suggestion from Mr. S. C. Snell that their habits were worth investigation. Mr. Snell stated that it was a wellknown fact locally that eels went as far as a certain mark in the Waikato and no further. Though there was a fish like an eel above this spot it was a fish .with a bigger head and was not an eel. There was nothing to prevent the eels going further up as the spot was in still water.

Mr. Whitney stated that the local club had written in regard to this matter, and he had discussed it with the Maoris. In his opinion the apparent peculiarity was due to falls m a ravine. There was a sheer drop at the falls of 10 feet, while the sides were so steep that eels could not go round.

Mr. Pearce held that there was more in it than lnut. The tails were not there now; in any case the eels did not go witnin a rmle of the falls, ur.cl they undoubtedly would if they could. As it happened they could easily go through the falls in flood time, it they wanted to.

Mr. Fitzgerald stated that he had discussed the matter with many people, and the most reasonable explanation he had received was that above the point referred to there was too much pumice. Eels wouldn’t live without a burrow, and for this clay or mud was necessary. He did not think the falls stopped them as he had found eels above much higher falls on the ranges. The chairman mentioned that Maoris might have taken the eels up the ranges. Maoris had taken eels to the Rotorua lakes, but though they grew to a big size they didn’t breed there. There might be something in it as the Murray river in Australia had no eels. As time was getting on no action was taken, and the meeting terminated at 11.30 p.m.