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Story: Te hopu tuna – eeling

Piharau (lamprey)

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Piharau (lamprey)

The piharau or lamprey is popularly known as the lamprey eel. It looks like an eel, but has no backbone. Lampreys have toothed mouths with which they rasp flesh and suck blood from fish and marine mammals. Māori valued them as food.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10049717

by Stephen Moore

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Te hopu tuna – eeling – Catching piharau – lampreys, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13985/piharau-lamprey (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 2 March 2009.