General Information

COMMON NAMES: Whitemargin Lyretail Grouper; French Croissant Queue Blanche TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tātarā ‘Oka (RR) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Samoa - ?Cooks; n. to s.Japan; s. to Vanuatu COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope 15-200m KEY FEATURES: To 40cm SL and 1kg. Body depth 3 in SL, with Dorsal and Anal Fins long-pointed posteriorly, and long lunate tail. Body brownish-orange to reddis-purple, with irregular stipes and blotches; spots blue to red on body, fins and tail; tail hindmargin white, with dark submarginal band; Pectorals yellow distally. SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Lyretail Grouper (Variola louti).

Cook Islands Distribution

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Variola albimarginata Baissac, 1953
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Percoidei; Percoidea; SERRANIDAE, Epinephelinae

GENERAL NOTE: Generally small and rare throughout range.

Vouchers:
Cooks: noted by Sonny Tatuava, perc.comm. 5/2001.

References:
text p.111 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 36a Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.119 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.203 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 29-02 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zM06a, zD02

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