The New Zealand freshwater mussel, scientific name Echyridella menziesi, or kakahi, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.
They were an important food source for the Māori, but like many freshwater mussels worldwide, are now endangered by pollution and eutrophication of rivers, and the introduction of new species of fish leading to actions via the Treaty of Waitangi claims process.
Read more about New Zealand Freshwater Mussel: Distribution, Life Cycle
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“Teasing is universal. Anthropologists have found the same fundamental patterns of teasing among New Zealand aborigine children and inner-city kids on the playgrounds of Philadelphia.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)