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Pseudogramma polyacanthum

Honeycomb Podge

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Image:	Adult specimen (New Caledonia)	34KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Honeycomb Podge, Palespotted Podge, False Gramma

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Ducie, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, reef-flats and lagoons; In shallow water, a very secretive fish, in coral heads, caves and crevices.

KEY FEATURES: To 8.5cm SL. Oblong and compressed. Brown with pale spots, and darker blotches and network; dark spot (cf. eyeØ) on gill cover. Dorsal with 7 pungent spines, membrane low; 2nd Dorsal continuous with 1st; Pectorals rounded; Tail rounded.

Enlarged Image of 'Pseudogramma polyacanthum'

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
++

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

Pseudogramma polyacanthum (Bleeker, 1856)
SYNONYMS: Pseudochromis polyacanthus [O]; Pseudogramma polyacantha [of authors]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Percoidei; Percoidea; SERRANIDAE, Grammistinae. COMMENT: Sometimes placed in GRAMMISTIDAE (Soapfishes). Here placed with soapfishes in the subfamily Grammistinae (Soapfishes).

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Rarely seen by divers, but a common fish in poisoned collections.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimens, BPBM 13937,13973 (Randall & Baldwin 1979). Aitutaki: specimen FMNH 16248 (Randall & Baldwin 1979). Tongareva: USNM 2590 (Randall & Baldwin 1979).

References:
Special Reference: Randall, J.E. and C.C. Baldwin, 1997. Revision of the serranid fishes of the subtribe Pseudogrammina, with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes (26):1-56.

text p.112 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.123 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.206 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 28/06 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 502 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zM06a, 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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