Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Cypselurus poecilopterus

Māroro

Yellow-wing Flyingfish

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult - dead; full body Adult - dead; full body	33KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Yellow-wing Flyingfish, Spotted Flyingfish; French Exocet aile Jaune

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Māroro / Tipa < Māroro (RR), Māroro (MG AT MK AK TW), Mālolo (TS), Mālolo Punakau? (PK); Other Polynesian - Marara (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Samoa - Cooks?; n. to s.Japan

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, pelagic 0-20m, often nearshore

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food

KEY FEATURES: A medium-sized flyingfish to 23cm SL. The long Pectorals reach the end of the Dorsal fin. The transparent Pectoral Fins have transverse rows of spots on the upper 70% of the fins. The Dorsal Fins are usually clear but may have darkened areas. [Dorsal Fin has 12 rays; Anal has 7-9 rays; and Pectoral has i,14-15 rays.]

SIMILAR SPECIES: Separated from Cheilopogon atrisignis which also has spotted pectorals, by its smaller size, the uniform placement of the spots, and by usually having a clear dorsal fin.

Enlarged Image of 'Cypselurus poecilopterus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			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

Cypselurus poecilopterus (Valenciennes, 1847)
SYNONYMS: Exocoetus poecilopterus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Beloniformes; Belonoidei; Exocoetoidea; EXOCOETIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: 1 specimen, 9/89, ID Collete ID confirmed Parin (Gillet&Ianelli, FAO/UNDP Field Doc 91/7). Rarotonga: specimens, 7/97, Joe Heather, ID GM. Mauke: field-specimen, College collection, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

References:
p.99 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
Species No. 186 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List