Lampreys could hardly be described as appealing creatures. They are like especially ugly eels, with large, teeth-filled mouths. They do, I'm told' taste really good and they are much sought-after by Maori in the South, especially members of the runanga at Gore. Hokonui runanga 'kai hi ika' harvest kanakana every year around this time, from the falls at Mataura and other locations in the rohe. The lampreys are plucked from the rocks as they slither up over the falls in order to get up-river, or scooped out from the river itself, where it is possible to stand.
This year though, fishermen were dismayed to find that the kanakana are sick. Rewi Anglem, Hokonui runaka kaiwhakahaere says that 90% of the kanakana he caught are suffering from an unknown illness that manifests as red contusions on the body and red fins. As yet, the pathogen causing this has not been identified but tests are being carried out now.
If you catch one of these un-lovely but tasty fish, don't eat it.
6 comments:
Saw the picture in the ODT, the local ones I have collected seem alright so we can't blame dirty farming
They are known as snot-fish or kanakana up here
That's interesting Francis. There are some down here too, in other rivers, that seem unafected.
The creature we call 'snot eel' down here is a different one and is only found in the sea. It's truly appalling and snots-up nets and buckets, quick as look at him.
Don't panic it's just solid energy priming the river for the real work later on
So the eel fishermen will go 'ligniting', rather than 'spotlighting'?
Unlovely? I think lampreys are lovely!
Your snot eel sounds like a hagfish, and equally unlovely name but a pretty cool animal. That slime might well be use to clog the gills of would-be predators. And they can tie themselves in a knot, that's a good trick
A snot-knot?
Lovely indeed!
I've seen a snot-eel/had-fish, turn a bucket of sea water into thick snot in a very short time.
I saw my first kanakana when a fisher-boy brought one to my house in a bucket. I didn't know what was in there, peered in and the thing reared up at me like an alien. Once I'd settled, I appreciated its uniqueness. I've a photo of two slugs that I took this morning, David. I'll post it now. It's somehing you might appreciate :-)
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