General Information

COMMON NAMES: Yellowfin Goatfish, Vanikolo Goatfish, Goldenstripe Goatfish, Red Goatfish; German Gelbflossen-Barbe; French Surmulet Sans Tache, Capucin de Vanicolo TRADITIONAL NAMES: Takua (RR MG MK MT AK), Takuo (AT), Vete / Memea? (PL), Memea (TS TW MH), Vete (RK), Memea / Kiva-memea < Memea-tawa < Vete-memea < Memea (PK); Other Polynesian - Tauo (TAH), Taire (TAH-L), Kuo (TUA) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to NZ COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; PLUS: S.Group, common; N.Group, common.; Marine, near-shore KEY FEATURES: To 40cm SL.Yellow above, silvery below, with a yellow stripe running from behind the orange eye to the tail, the stripe has blue edging at first. All fins & tail are yellow. SIMILAR SPECIES: Goldband Goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) has silvery eyes, lacks the yellow fins & tail, & also lacks the thin blue edges to the stripe on the body.

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: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
P	P		P		+++

Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831)
SYNONYMS: Mulloides vanicolensis [alt. valid name]; Upeneus vanicolensis [O]; Mulloides auriflamma

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Percoidei; Percoidea; MULLIDAE

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen gillnet Avatiu pass. ID N.Sims, to BPBM, ID confirmed J.E.Randall (Sims88). Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: fieldspecimen, College, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Palmerston: Photo 24 misID as Mulloidichthys samoensis (G&S85); Listed (Preston95). Manihiki: A685-5 specimens, as Mulloidichthys vanicolensis, & A761-1,A766-2 as Mulloidichthys auriflamma (B&M74). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Mulloidichthys vanicolensis. Suwarrow: field ID N.Sims (Sims EIA99).

References:
text p.148 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 57b Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.209 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.317 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 54-02 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 51-15 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM06a, zD02

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