The intriguing image Jacinda Ardern used to announce her pregnancy has a deeper meaning

When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her pregnancy via Twitter on Friday, she did so with an intriguing image choice.

Rather than taking a happy selfie with her husband, the PM chose a photo of three fishing hooks to post alongside her message.

The meaning of the symbol is likely twofold, according to those in the know. The most obvious meaning is hinted at in the announcement itself: "This year we'll join the many parents who wear two hats. I'll be PM & a mum while Clarke will be 'first man of fishing' & stay at home dad."

Ardern's partner, Clarke Gayford, is an avid fisherman and the host of TV program Fish of the Day. In the image, two large fishing hooks are photographed with a third, smaller hook inside the hook on the right – symbolising, perhaps, the tiny third member of their little fishing family.

But for many New Zealanders, especially the Maori community, the fishing hook has another significant meaning.

Dr Miranda Johnson, a senior lecturer in Indigenous history at the University of Sydney, said Ardern "could well be evoking the 'matau' or fish hook, which is a symbol of good luck and strength."