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Ruvettus pretiosus

Vena

Oilfish

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Illustration	15KB
Image:	Penrhyn voucher specimen, MMR	106KB
Image:	Whole animal (b&w illustration)	27KB
Image:	Fisherman's catch, CINews 11-1-99	56KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Oilfish, Castor-oil Fish

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Vena (RR PL TS TW), Kurāvena < Vena (MG), Tatara < Kuravena (AT), Taratara < Kuravena (MK), Kuravena / Tātara < Kuravena (MT), Vena / Tarā Vena < Vena < Vena ‘Akakāoa (AK), Palu Taeyī / Palu Kilitala < Palu Wala (PK); Other Polynesian - Uravena (TAH); COMMENT: Mauke: Taratara to 1m SL.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE circumtropical to temperate

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group - widespread; N.Group - widespread; Marine, near-shore deepbottom and seamounts 100-400m

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food (1+)

KEY FEATURES: A thickset fish commonly to 150cm SL (max 300cm!).

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

Ruvettus pretiosus (Cocco, 1833)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Scombroidei; GEMPYLIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: Nakamura & Parin 1993, Snake Mackerels... FAO Fish Synop. 15 (125). Rarotonga: Photo CI News 11/1/99 caught Rupe Rima, ID GMc. Mangaia: Photo Sue Ngatokorua, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: field-specimen, College, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Palmerston: specimens 2x30kg ID N.Sims (Sims88); Listed (Preston95). Tongareva: listed in T&P85. Pukapuka: 4xfieldspecimens+photo, largest 170cm T, 2/2004, deepbottom dropline, Marurai Marurai, Vigo Jnr. Vigo, and Casper Vigo, ID GMcC.

References:
Special Reference: Nakamura & Parin 1993, Snake Mackerels... FAO Fish Synop. 15 (125).

p.601 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)

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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