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Aua at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere
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TitleYellow-eyed mullet at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere
DescriptionTe Waihora has almost 50 fish species recorded in the lake. Along with tuna (eels), pātiki (flounder) and īnanga (whitebait), aua (yellow-eyed mullet) are significant mahinga kai species for Ngāi Tahu.
Aua, also known as Aldrichetta forsteri, are in the Mugilidae family and are one of the two species of mullet found in Aotearoa New Zealand, along with the grey mullet. Aua are distinguished from grey mullet by their bright yellow eye. Aua move together in shoals and are found around Aotearoa, never far from the coast. They may spend considerable time in fresh water and are found at all times of the year in Te Waihora, but their spawning takes place in the sea. They commonly grow to 150-200mm long, but have been recorded as long as 500mm. Because of their size they make up a small portion of the commercial fisheries in Aotearoa, compared to the grey mullet, and are often used as bait. They mainly feed on plant material, algae and other organic matter.
Like other fish species of Te Waihora, their habitat is disrupted by poor quality water, too much lake sediment, and impediments to their journeys to the sea in order to breed.
DescriptionTe Waihora has almost 50 fish species recorded in the lake. Along with tuna (eels), pātiki (flounder) and īnanga (whitebait), aua (yellow-eyed mullet) are significant mahinga kai species for Ngāi Tahu.Aua, also known as Aldrichetta forsteri, are in the Mugilidae family and are one of the two species of mullet found in Aotearoa New Zealand, along with the grey mullet. Aua are distinguished from grey mullet by their bright yellow eye. Aua move together in shoals and are found around Aotearoa, never far from the coast. They may spend considerable time in fresh water and are found at all times of the year in Te Waihora, but their spawning takes place in the sea. They commonly grow to 150-200mm long, but have been recorded as long as 500mm. Because of their size they make up a small portion of the commercial fisheries in Aotearoa, compared to the grey mullet, and are often used as bait. They mainly feed on plant material, algae and other organic matter.
Like other fish species of Te Waihora, their habitat is disrupted by poor quality water, too much lake sediment, and impediments to their journeys to the sea in order to breed.
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Aua at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere. Selwyn Stories, accessed 03/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6525