General Information

COMMON NAMES: Iridescent Cardinalfish, Spinycheek Cardinalfish, Spinyhead Cardinalfish; German Gelbflossen-Kardinal; French Apogon Irisé TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Ō‘ō (RR MT) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Pitacairn, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to Norfolk - Rapa COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, Logoons, reef-flat and outer reef-slope to 45m+ KEY FEATURES: To 15cm. Oval; tan to pale red-brown with a brown mid-lateral stripe fading at tailbase, where there is a black spot. Fins clear, with yellow on first dorsal. The fish is iridescent blue-green at night. SIMILAR SPECIES: Brown stripe finishing before tailbase, and black spot on tailbase, are distinctive.

Cook Islands Distribution

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Apogon kallopterus Bleeker, 1856
SYNONYMS: Apogon synderi [of authors]

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

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field sighting, 1m bottom, Rutaki lagoon at dusk, 3/2000, ID GM (NHP record).

References:
text p.120 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 40e Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.143 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.226 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 36-05 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 32-15 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM06a, zD02

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