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Ellochelon vaigiensis

Kā (AT)

Squaretail Mullet

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Squaretail Mullet, Diamond-scale Mullet, Squaretail Mullet, Yellow-tail Mullet; German Keilschwanz-Meeräsche; French Mulet Mopiro, Muge à Queue Tronquée

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Ka‘a ? (RR), Ka‘a (MG AK PL), Kākā < Kā < Kārārā (AT), Ka‘arārā (MK), Kaha (TS TW), Kawa / Tamayei < Kawakawa < Kawa (PK); Other Polynesian - Nape (TAH), Mopiro (TUA), Kaa (MVA)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. to s.Japan; s. to s.GBR - New Caledonia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group, uncommon, N.Group, very common. PLUS:; Marine, near-shore, lagoons, often around lagoon toilets

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Not eaten.

KEY FEATURES: To 50cm SL, depth 4.5 in SL. Mouth terminal, head flat, large scales, tail large and square. Silver-grey; upperside scales edged dark. YOUNG pectorals black, held high; Tail bright yellow. ADULT Pectorals upper dark, lower yellowish; Tail yellowish.

Enlarged Image of 'Ellochelon vaigiensis'

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		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

Ellochelon vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
SYNONYMS: Chelon vaigiensis; Mugil vaigiensis [O]; Liza vaigiensis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Mugiliformes; MUGILIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM; fieldsight, lagoon, 12/2000, GMcC. Palmerston: specimen lagoon net ID N.Sims, to BPBM (Sims88). Manihiki: A770-1specimen, as Chelon vaigiensis (B&M74); specimen night reef-flat gleaning ID N.Sims, to BPBM, confirmed Randall (Sims88). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 1/2004, fisherman, ID GM & K.Salisbury as Ellochelon vaigiensis.

References:
text p.200 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate -199d Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.290 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.421 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 111-09 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 69-03 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 276 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.
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