Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Epinephelus morrhua

Punga (PN)

Comet Grouper

Multimedia & Additional Resources

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Open this image in pop-up window Image: Adult (Maldives) 47KB
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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Comet Grouper, Blue Grouper, Comet Grouper, Snakeskin Sea-Bass; French Mérou Comète

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Āpuka? / Mataroa? (PL), Punga (TS TW)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotu; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia.

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group and N.Group - RR, TN.; Marine, near-shore, deepbottom, 80-350m

KEY FEATURES: To 60cm. Thickset (depth 3x in SL); fins and tail rounded; lower teeth in two rows. Pale brown with long-curved brown bands ending in dorsal expansion, with 2 intermediate bands of simple spots. Fins uniform brown; Pectorals yellow.

SIMILAR SPECIES: See Reticulate Grouper (Epinephelus tuamotuensis).

Enlarged Image of 'Epinephelus morrhua'

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
+TP

Northern Group: Present
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
++

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Epinephelus morrhua (Valenciennes, 1833)
SYNONYMS: Serranus morrhua [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Percoidei; Percoidea; SERRANIDAE, Epinephelinae

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: Heemstra & Randall 1993, FAO Fish. Synops. #125, Vol.16. Rarotonga: 3 specimens (T&P85), RUSI12912. Tongareva: 57 specimens (T&P85), photo in this DB.

References:
Special Reference: Heemstra & Randall 1993, FAO Fish. Synops. #125, Vol.16:196-8, plate XIX-B.

text p.103 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.505 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
plate 25/8 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

Data Update History (information):
zTXmx, zB02, zM04b, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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