EELS AND THEIR HABITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1916, Page 8

EELS AND THEIR HABITS.

(By "Ripple"). Every year discussion is indulged in regarding the habits of the eel. Many theories are advanced as to the manner eels rear their young. There are those who contend that eels breed in streams, pools and lakes far removed-from the ocean, and that very young eels have | been discovered in water courses that have no direct or indirect contact with sea water. Whatever their views, it lias been proved conclusively by scientists that all eels are born in the sea. In nur Taranaki streams during the latter part of September and October vast shoals of tiny eels have been observed coming in from the sea. Almost every 'K'i'aoi! who has taken whitebait lias seen the tiny eels and captured various quantities in the net. Every specimen of these elvers, or young eels, is as perfect l in conformation as the adult eel, and it jannot be contended that they grow into .iomo other form of fish. The writc-r has observed these migrations from the sea this year and for many years in Taranaki- and the vast quantities that go up from the sea into even a small stream, prove how very prolific the parent eels must be. These elvers are very lively and extremely energetic little fellows, and the distance they will cover in their frantic endeavors to get far up to'the headwaters is, considering their size, prodigious. Then comes the question of how the young eels get into isolated dams and lakes. At this season of the year rain falls frequently, and even when there is no rain the dews are heavy. In the evenings at just about dusk the writer has observed eels, from two feet in length down to four or five inches, leave a stream of water and wriggle up through the wet grass and go overland for long distances to fresh waters. Some years ago in Taranaki a big dam was built in the corner of four paddocks for the purpose of watering stock. The excavations at the deep end were about 20ft, and here a splendid spring of water was met. The following summer the writer fished for eels in this .water and secured several fine catches, including /iix and eight pound eels. This dam had no connection with any other water and ■the nearest stream was a mile away. In one of these celing excursions on a ■fine summer evening five good sized eels were observed wriggling in the grass towards the water dam. It was surprising to see how quickly, the slippery creatures wriggled through' the dew-laden grass and in about forty minutes they covered half-a-mile of land before reaching their goal. These eels ranged in size from 31bs to a half-pound. To revert to the question as to where oels breed, any observant person may see the adult "eels going down to the sea in the autumn. These go out to sea (and, it is presumed, to considerable distances). Here the young eels are born very early in the spring or lato. winter. Eels are "not hatched from eggs as are many kinds of fish and snakes but are when horn perfect little specimens of i their kind. For centuries this fact was unknown, and it was only a year or two ago that the fact was proved by a trawler in the Mediterranean Sea" capturing a large female feel. Inside this mother eel were found hundreds of small eels and the problem that had puzzled naturalists (since the time of the Greek naturalist Pliny down to the present) was solved. Should any local naturalist still have doubtt respecting the migration of parent eels to the sea to breed and their return to I the same waters later, or further, any doubt respecting the fact that young eels all come into our rivers from the sea—let him make the observation for himself. He can do so in either the To Henui or the Huatoki rivers. The Huatoki is perhaps as good a stream as any for observation, as any year large numbers of adult eels may be seen traversing i!he watei fourses from the lakes in Pukekura Park to and from the sea. It may not be generally known that the Huatoki stream is famed for the size of Its eels During the past month or two eels up to 151b have been taken. The natives visit this stream every year and wade along with a hook fastened to a stick for grappling. Two or three years ago some Maoris secured a specimen that was over 401b in weight. For v couple of centuries the strotunjaa .lifien

renowned for big eels anil natives in the Ivaipara and Waikato districts have a chant in praise of the huge size and flavor of these creatures. In the; dim past war parties of natives from those (jjstricts visited Taranaki and found the fiuatoki an excellent hunting ground for the succulent "tuna." So impressed were they with the "kai" secured ir these waters, that on their return home the cliant above mentioned was composed and is still sung at bii; feasts, at which functions the Maoris delight in stories and song of their famous catches. Referring to the above subject, "Piscalor" in the Sydney Referee says:—"At Prospect, when the water overflowed and got away to the sea by various channels recently, thousands of large eels collected where the water was about to break away. This phenomenon is always witnessed in lakes where eels abound, and it indicates the instinct of the fish to continue the propagation of tile species. Eels must go to the sea-water to breed. They do not spawn in fresh water. The matter lias been settled by scientists, and all the wild wonder and wrong conclusions of bushnvqn who assert that they have caught baby eels hundreds'of miles from the sea, make 110 impression upon them. Bushmen make mistakes; but they have an opportunity of making their statements believed if they obtain some fertile ova. from the eels they catch and give them to the scientists to hatch out. The so-called baby eels, when produced, have turned l * out to be water worms of various kinds. How eels travel from the sea to places far removed from it* is another matter. It becomes more comprehensible when we remember that the eel can. travel long distances over dry or wet land at niglit and during wet weather, also that in drought time they bury themselves in mud at the bottoms of lagoons or river beds, and remain alive there for months."