COMMON NAMES: Indo-Pacific Bonefish, Pacific Bonefish, Ladyfish, Roundjaw Bonefish; German Indopazifik-Frauenfisch; French Poisson-banane à Lévre Ronde

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kiokio (AK TS TW MH), Kiokio / Kiokio-tai (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa -Tuamotus, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Known worldwide as a hard-fighting gamefish. It lives on sandflats and mudflats where it uses its snout to extract small invertebrates to eat. PLUS: ; Marine, near-shore, lagoons over shallow sandy areas

KEY FEATURES: To 90cm SL.(RM91) [ 100cm - GBR] Underslug jaw

SIMILAR SPECIES: It was thought that there was one species of bonefish in the world, but recent chemical studies have shown that there are five species, of which two live in the Indo-Pacific region. The second Indo-Pacific species, the Pacific Bonefish (Albula neoguinaica), is usually given as the only species around Australia and Papua New Guinea, it is not listed for Micronesia, but is listed for Hawaii. A. neoguinaica has 67-70 scales on lateral line (present 72-75); 65-69 vertebrae (present 70-75), more pointed lower jaw; and narrower patches of teeth within the mouth. I would suggest we leave the distinction to the experts!