General Information

COMMON NAMES: Clown Coris, Comb Wrasse; German Spiegelfleck-Junker; French Labre Clown, Labre Peigne, Coris à Points Bleus TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Aupā (RR MG AK), Upokotū (AT), Pokotū (MK MT), Shurari (PL), Sulali (TS), Surari (TW); Other Polynesian - Pataitai (TAH), Pihiti (MQA), Marari / Hamo Hamo Gaere (TUA), Tupiro (MVA) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Ducie; n. to s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe - Rapa COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group uncommon; N.Group uncommon; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope to 25m; Lagoons, reef-flat moats and outer reef-slope. Feed on invertebrates, often turning stones to find them. SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Not favoured as food.; ciguatoxic (mild) KEY FEATURES: A narrow oval fish with three different colour phases, usually to 70cm S.L. JUVENILE white with black spots on anterior body, black bands on the main fins and tail, and two dramatic orange dorsal spots with black centres. INITIAL PHASE pale green anteriorly with dark spots, a midbody white bar, followed by uniform dark green, tail rounded with white rim. TERMINAL PHASE with a dramatically humped head, darkening from the IP to almost uniform black, ± a pale bar, and a radded tail. SIMILAR SPECIES: All three colour phases are very distinctive.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

Coris aygula Lacepède, 1801
SYNONYMS: Coris angulata

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Julidini

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Not favoured as food.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: ciguatoxic (mild). Comments: Listed as mildly ciguatoxic (Miti‘āro, 1984, MMR)

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field ID Muri lagoon, one TP many IP, 3/99 GMc. Mangaia: Teruapuºi, Keia District, shallow lagoon small pool, CAS73853 (DSM58). Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mitiaro: specimen outer reef-slope ciguatoxic 1984 R.Bagnis (Sims88). Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM; fieldsight, lagoon, 12/2000, GMcC. Palmerston: Listed (Preston95). Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: field ID N.Sims (Sims EIA99).

References:
text p.184 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 96b Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.312 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.436 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 97-01 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 74-14 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 795 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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