In Māori mythology, Ikaroa is the long fish that gave birth to all the stars in the Milky Way or the Mother Goddess of all the stars – ornaments of the Sky God. Ika-Roa is also an alternative name for the Milky Way. Ika-roa was also called ''Mangōroa'' ("long shark") or ''Mangōroa i ata'' ("long shark in the early dawn").

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References

* E. Shortland, ''Maori Religion and Mythology'' (Longmans: London), 1882. * E.R. Tregear, ''Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary'' (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay), 1891. Māori mythology Fish deities {{deity-stub