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Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus

Molokuo (PK)

Yellowmargin Triggerfish

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Yellowmargin Triggerfish, YellowMargin Triggerfish, Yellowface Triggerfish, Green Triggerfish; French Baliste Géant, Bliste Ponctué

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Molokuo (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. to s.Japan; s. to Cooks

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group - rare; N.Group - present; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: An oval, large triggerfish, to 60cm SL.The large anal and 2nd-dorsal fins have yellow margins on a dark background, as does the tail. Juvenile differs markedly from the adult having a white body with variable black markings & spots.

Enlarged Image of 'Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (Rüppel, 1829)
SYNONYMS: Balistes flavimarginatus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Tetraodontiformes; Tetraodontoidei; Balistoidea; BALISTIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: one specimen 21m (Sims88). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, Tai Ravarua, ID G.McCormack as Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus.

References:
text p.259 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 136d Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.454 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.622 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 132-05 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 101-01 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 1052 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, 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.
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