Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Leiuranus semicinctus

Pīpīkōiro (AK)

Saddled Snake-eel

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult	48KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Saddled Snake-eel, Culverin, Half-banded Snake-Eel; German Sattel-Schlangenaal; French Anguille-serpent à Selles

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pīpīkōiro (AK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to Norfolk

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; AK, MH. PLUS: AK (Gibbs), MH (B&M); Marine, near-shore

Enlarged Image of 'Leiuranus semicinctus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Leiuranus semicinctus (Lay and Bennett, 1839)
SYNONYMS: Ophisurus semicinctus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Anguilliformes; Congroideii; OPHICHTHIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: specimen (GVS75); specimen+photo, NBSAP School collection, 12/2000, G.McCormack with ID as Leiuranus semicinctus, to BPBM ID confirmed J.Randall, 5/2004. Manihiki: 1 specimen #A770 (B&M74).

References:
text p.54 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.45 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.61 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 8-10 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 9-06 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 131 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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

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