Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Platax orbicularis

Circular Spadefish

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult (SW Pacific)	21KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Circular Spadefish, Circular Spadefish, Batfish, Circular Spadefish Batfish, Orbiculate Batfish, Orbicular Batfish; German Rundkopf-Fledermausfisch; French Poule d'Eau, Rousette, Poisson-lune

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Lepa [ID?] (TS), Repa [ID?] (TW); Other Polynesian - Paraha Peue (TAH), Paraha Parue (TAH-L)

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

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

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

Platax orbicularis (Forsskål, 1775)
SYNONYMS: Chaetodon orbicularis [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Acanthuroidei; EPHIPPIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: possible field ID by N.Sims (Sims88).

References:
text p.152 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 61a Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.218 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.332 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 56-02 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 54-07 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 664 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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

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