General Information

COMMON NAMES: Pelagic Cowfish COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group (1 specimen, Aitutaki, 2002); Marine, pelagic KEY FEATURES: PELAGIC. Pale grey with dark spots on upper body; very small and bulbous, with similar spines as Spiny Cowfish. Specimens found in Micronesia and Cook Islands had eggs, throwing doubt on the earlier interpretation that this fish was the young of the Spiny Cowfish (Lactoria diaphana).. NOTE: The only Cook Islands record was a pelagic female 4.5cm SL with eggs, taken from a tuna gut in Aitutaki in 2002.

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

Lactoria QQpelagic
Query: gravid specimens indicate this is probably an undescribed species (J.Randall pers.comm.)

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Tetraodontiformes; Tetraodontoidei; Ostracioidea; OSTRACIIDAE

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: specimen+photo, from gut of a tuna, Keith Baxter, 5/2002, ID Malcolm Francis as juvenile Lactoria diaphana, report of eggs lead J.Randall to sugggest it is an undescribed species, pers.comm. 2002.

References:
text p.264 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 264/2 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB05a, zM05a, zD05a

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