Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Pseudodax moluccanus

Chiseltooth Wrasse

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult and juvenile	39KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Chiseltooth Wrasse, Moluca's Wrasse; German Meisselzahn-Lippfisch; French Labre des Moluques, Vieille Ciseau

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

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; N.Group. (PK) PLUS:; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: To 25cm SL. Sexes similar in appearance. Depth 2.5x in SL; a pair of chisel-like protruding teeth on each jaw, 2nd pair on lower jaw, check teeth fused into curring ridge; tail square to round. JUV dark brown with broad blue stripes - 1 upperside and 1 lowerside; tail base with pale band. ADULTS grey with large brown spots on scales; upper jaw yellow, with fine blue lines; Pelvic, Dorsal, Anal and Tail with blue edge; tailbase w/wo wide yellow band.

Enlarged Image of 'Pseudodax moluccanus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
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

Pseudodax moluccanus (Valenciennes, 1840)
SYNONYMS: Odax moluccanus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Pseudodacinae

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: Photo pair 15m depth outer reef-slope ID J.E.Randall (Sims88).

References:
text p.177 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 89b Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.331 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.467 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 101-11 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 79-07 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. p403 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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List