General Information

COMMON NAMES: Banded Mantis-Shrimp, Banded Squilla, Banded Shrimp-killer, Banded Spearer TRADITIONAL NAMES: Varo Tea / Varo Kura (AK), Valo (TS), Varo (TW) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - se.Asia - Tuamotu; Hawai‘i; n. to Japan COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, lagoon, in muddy-sand, low tide to 20m SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food KEY FEATURES: Often 25cmBL, to 40cmBL. Male and female in one burrow, female cares for eggs, and male is at burrow entrance and hunts for food for both. MALE creamy-grey with dark grey bands. FEMALE orange with dark bands. Male has larger eyes and raptorial appendages. Feed on softer-bodied prey, including shrimps, fishes, and young octopuses.

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
P

Lysiosquillina maculata (Fabricus, 1793)
SYNONYMS: Squilla maculata; Lysiosquilla maculata

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; CRUSTACEA; MALACOSTRACA; EUMALACOSTRACA; Hoplocarida; Stomatopoda; LYSIOSQUILLIDAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Food. Comments: Aitutaki: Ron Crocombe 2007/1 recalled that in 1954 John Harrington was sending a few Varo on the fortnightly seaplane to Tahiti; without refrigeration they were caught at the last possible moment for the 8-9am departure for the ~4hr flight and they needed to be eaten by the evening in Tahiti; John had said only select few Aitutaki people knew how to find them, G.McCormack 2007/1;

Vouchers:
Cooks: JU-114; Aitutaki: Gibbs75; Tongareva: TCrocker41;

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM05b, zD02

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