It was a case of the one that got away. Just as Tahuna Intermediate School pupils were about to measure a whopping long-finned eel, it slithered out of their grasp back into Tomahawk Lagoon.
The eel was a reluctant participant in a study of life in the lagoon yesterday. The children identified, measured and recorded crayfish, common bullies and eels.
''I didn't think there were any crayfish in here, so that's a surprise to me,'' Doc freshwater ranger Daniel Jack told the year 8 pupils.
The largest specimen recorded was a 110mm common bully.
''We weren't sure what we were going to get. It was an experiment,'' Doc ranger Lucy Hardy said.
The project was an extension activity of the school science programme, Tahuna Intermediate teacher Roddy Scoles said.
''We're collecting data of the things we find, so it's a chance for them to get hands-on.''
Tahuna Intermediate and John McGlashan College pupils will conduct a combined invertebrate study at Tomahawk later this month.
