though mainly a "saltwater" people, the marra also availed themselves of all of the abundant resources offered by the inland woodland and freshwater river systems. fish, crustaceans, mussels ("mindiwaba", a saltwater variety) and bird flesh culled by hunting in the wetlands and estuaries, together with green olive ridley and flatback turtles and their eggs, while dugongs, the flesh of file snakes and pythons were also hunted. inland, emu and five species of kangaroo were ample. as the water retreated with the onset of the dry seasons, the harvesting of the corms and seeds of waterlilies, and digging for bush potatoes, yams, swamp arrowgrass roots and water chestnuts was facilitated. the fruits of the buchanania obovata were also prized.