Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Platybelone argalus platyura

Miro Va‘a-roroa

Keeled Needlefish

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult	26KB
Image:	Keeled needlefish (& halfbeak fish)	24KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Keeled Needlefish, Gill-rakered Needlefish, Tropical Garfish, Keeltail Needlefish, Keeled Longtom; German Kielschwanz-Hornhecht; French Orphie Carène

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Miro Va‘a-roroa / Miromiro (RR), Kakukaku (MG), Akuaku (AT MK PK), Miro (MT), Miromiro (AK), Ise (TS TW); Other Polynesian - Auau (TAH), Toroviri (TUA), Aku / Au (MQA), Aku (MVA); COMMENT: MH Miro - McCann

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Maldives - Samoa - Cooks, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to n.NZ

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Uncommon in S.Group; common in N.Group. PLUS:; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: To 45cm SL.

Enlarged Image of 'Platybelone argalus platyura'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Platybelone argalus platyura (Bennett, 1832)
SYNONYMS: Belone platyura [O]; Platybelone argala platyura [misspelling]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Beloniformes; Belonoidei; Scomberesocoidea; BELONIDAE. COMMENT: $Platybelone argala@ has several subspecies, including $Platybelone argala platyura@, the Pacific subspecies, formerly known as $Belone platyura@.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen beach seine net, ID J.E.Randall (Sims88). Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Atiu: field-specimen+photo, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: field-specimen, College, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Palmerston: reported (Preston95 p51). Manihiki: 2 specimens #A685 as Belone platyura (B&M74); specimen night scoop-netting ID J.E.Randall (Sims88). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Platybelone argalus platyura.

References:
text p.71 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 13f Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.58 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.100 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 143-06 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List