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Makaira indica

Akurā

Black Marlin

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult	16KB
Image:	Atiu_320cm_1998_1	52KB
Image:	Atiu_320cm_1988_2	46KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Black Marlin, Silver Marlin [Hawaii], White Marlin [Japan], Pacific Black Marlin; French Makaire Noir

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Akurā (RR MG AT AK), ‘Aurā Pūpū (MK MT), Sakulā Māli (TS), Sakurā Māri (TW), Akulā Panoko (PK); Other Polynesian - Haura (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus, Hawai‘i - tropical America; s. to NZ (to 45°S)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; PLUS: Informants from fishbook (Sims); Marine, pelagic

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food, Gamefish

KEY FEATURES: A deep-bodied billfish. Whitish in life, but blue-black above and silvery-white below after death. Height of Dorsal Fin distinctly less than body depth. Pectoral Fins permanently extended and NOT able to be folded against the body without breaking the basal joint.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin (Makaira mazara) is very similar, but its pectoral fins can fold against the body.

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

Makaira indica (Cuvier, 1832)
SYNONYMS: Istiomax indicus; Istiompax indicus; Makaira indicus [misspelling]; Tetrapturus indicus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Scombroidei; XIPHIIDAE, Istiophorinae

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: Nakamura 1985, Billfishes... FAO Fish. Syop. 5(125). Atiu: 7/98, 320cm Apii Tupou & Mata Veiao, Photo Kura Malcolm, ID GMc. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

References:
Special Reference: Nakamura 1985, Billfishes... FAO Fish. Syop. 5(125).

p.445 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.604 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 96-01 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

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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