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Linckia laevigata

‘Etu-moana

Vivid-blue Starfish

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Vivid-blue Starfish

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Etu-moana (RR AT), Veri ‘Etū / Ma‘ama‘a-tai (MG), ‘Ētū Tai (MK), Ika‘etū (MT), ‘Etū-tai (AK), Māngūngū (TS TW), Fetu (MH RK), Mangamanga Tai ? (PK); COMMENT: Etu, Fetu and Hetu are general names for any starfish.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE w.Indian Ocean - s.e.Polynesia - (not Hawai‘i)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: Vivid blue starfish, 15-25cm diam., 5 similar arms, not constricted near base.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
P	P		P

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

Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus, 1758)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ECHINODERMATA; ELEUTHEROZOA; STELLEROIDEA; ASTEROIDEA; Forcipulata; OPHIDIASTERIDAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: In April 1998 Ann Fielding found 5-6 pure white Linckia laevigata near the harbour on Atiu. It is know known if these are merely albinos or a different species. (Voucher XXX Museum, No.xxxx)

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Linckia laevigata.

References:
None recorded.

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