Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Amphipholis squamata

Veritara Tai (AK)

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Sorry, there are no multimedia or other resources available for this species yet.

General Information

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Veritara Tai (AK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE circumtropical: Indonesia - Oceanic Pacific - Caribbean - Mediterranean

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: Very small, to 3cm Total Diameter. Scaly disc 5mm, arms 10mm long. Light tan mottled tan. Disc covered with overlapping scales with five larger paired radial shields. Size and structure very similar to Amphioplus, but present genus has 3 oral papillae.

Enlarged Image of 'Amphipholis squamata'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
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

Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1829)
SYNONYMS: Asterias squamata

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ECHINODERMATA; ELEUTHEROZOA; STELLEROIDEA; OPHIUROIDEA; Ophiuroida; AMPHIURIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zB02, 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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List