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Cheilinus undulatus

Maratea

Humphead Wrasse

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult (Palmerston)	38KB
Video:	on Rarotonga (© Karl Traylor)	354KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Humphead Wrasse, Humphead Maori Wrasse, Napoleonfish, Giant Humphead Wrasse, Napoleon Wrasse, Giant Maori Wrasse; German Napoleon; French Napoléon, Labre Géant

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Maratea (RR AT MK MT AK PL), Malatea / Lahi Malatea < Malatea (TS), Maratea / Rahi Maratea < Maratea (TW), Taputapulahi / Malatea (MH), Lalawi / Lalawi < Malatea (PK); Other Polynesian - Mara / Papae/ Parahirahi (TAH), Pakou / Tupiropiro / Taturei / Maratea / Tapito / Marari (TUA)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group, rare; N.Group, uncommon; Marine, near-shore, lagoons (uncommon), outer reef-slope (rare)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Excellent food. Uncommon.

KEY FEATURES: To 180cm SL.(RM91) [ 230cm - GBR]Little change with age or sex.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+			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

Cheilinus undulatus Rüppell, 1835
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Cheilinini

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: field sighting outer reef-slope Motukitiu 2m length ID N.Sims (Sims88); field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Palmerston: Photo55 (G&S85); Listed (Preston95). Tongareva: listed in T&P85. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: field sighting (Sims EIA99).

References:
text p.179 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 91b Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.304 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.433 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 92-01 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 71-11 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 776 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM07a, 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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