Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Cypselurus poecilopterus

Māroro

Yellow-wing Flyingfish

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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

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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

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. Copy citation to system clipboard
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