korokoro
1. (noun) lamprey, Geotria australis - an eel-like fish that has a sucker mouth with horny teeth and a rasping tongue. A highly valued food of Māori that was harvested at the beginning of the Māori new year Found around North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands coasts, penetrating inland to 230 km.
Ka kitea a Matariki, ka rere te korokoro (NP 2001:162). / When Matariki is seen, the lamprey migrate. (A whakataukī referring to the lamprey migrating up rivers and streams at the start of the Māori new year, a time when they were caught.)
See also piharau
Synonyms: kanakana wairaki, kanakana, nganangana, pihapiharau, pipiharau, tuna korokoro, wairaki, waituere, pia, puhikorokoro, piharau
