Kōrero: Starfish, sea urchins and other echinoderms

In spring the five reproductive organs of mature kina swell with millions of tiny yellow-orange spheres – their sperm and eggs, collectively known as roe. Shown here is half of an opened kina with its roe spread out like the segments of an orange. Raw kina roe is a traditional food of Māori and a delicacy for many other people. Kina are commercially harvested from the wild for their roe, and most of the annual catch of 675 tonnes is sold within New Zealand.