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Tetrapturus audax

Akula Panako (PK)

Striped Marlin

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Striped Marlin, Striped Swordfish; French Marlin Rayé

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Aurā [if present] (MT), Sakulā Māli (TS), Sakurā Māri (TW), Akula Panoko (PK); Other Polynesian - Haura (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus, Hawai‘i - tropical America; s. to NZ (to 40°S)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; N.Group. Rare. (SW) PLUS:; Marine, pelagic

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food, Gamefish

SIMILAR SPECIES: The Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin (Makaira mazara) is very similar in colour and bars, but differs in having the dorsal fins distinctly lower than than the body depth.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
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

Tetrapturus audax (Philippi, 1887)
SYNONYMS: Histiophorus audax [O]; Istiophorus audax; Makaira audax; Marlina audax

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Scombroidei; XIPHIIDAE, Istiophorinae

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Thought to be able to swim to 60kmp, this is the most agile marlin and teh most spectactular fighter. When hooked it can undertake incredible leaps and "tail-walk" for hundreds of metres. Lives in water 68-77°F, and avoid warmer waters, which separates the Northern and Southern Hemisphere populations. (Fishes of French Polynesia)

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: Nakamura 1985, Billfishes... FAO Fish. Syop. 5(125). Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: 1 specimen 70kg, ID N.Sims (Sims88).

References:
Special Reference: Nakamura 1985, Billfishes... FAO Fish. Syop. 5(125).

p.445 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.604 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 96-04 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 348 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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

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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