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Gymnothorax undulatus

‘Ā‘ā Popote

Undulated Moray

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Undulated Moray, Leopard Moray, Undulated Moray; German Marmor-Muräne; French Murène Léopard, Murène Ondulante

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Ā‘ā Popote / Raravai? (RR), Kerekere ? Tū‘ua (MG), Pui Rae‘ue (AT), Teatea (AK), Pusi Kelekele (TS), Pusi Kerekere (TW), Kalou Ulu-ā-laupuka (PK); Other Polynesian - Puhi Pete (TAH); COMMENT: PK "with head like a puka leaf" (i.e. yellow)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Fr.Polynesia, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Common in S.Group. PLUS:; Marine, near-shore, outer slope at night

KEY FEATURES: To 120cm. Head with irregular brown mottling and spots above (±yellowish wash), and white below. Behind the head the brown mottling forms increasingly distinct irregular bars extending onto the Dorsal and Anal fins. The Anal Finhas a white edge its entire length. Gill opening not distinctive. Nocturnally active; generally aggressive and prone to bite.

Enlarged Image of 'Gymnothorax undulatus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Gymnothorax undulatus (Lacepède, 1803)
SYNONYMS: Echidna catenata; Lycodontis undulatus; Muraenophis undulata [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Anguilliformes; Muraenoidei; MURAENIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: gillnet specimen off Rutaki, head to BPBM, ID confirmed Randall (Sims88); specimen, 120cm TL, speared, 3/00, XXXXX, ID GM/FS - distinctive white edge on entire anal fin. Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

References:
text p.46 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 10c Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.40 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.58 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 6-06 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 7-12 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 145 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTXmx, 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.
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