Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Thalassoma trilobatum

Pa‘oro Re‘are‘a (MG)

Christmas Wrasse

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Male	43KB
Image:	Initial phase specimens	29KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Christmas Wrasse, Ladder Wrasse; German Weihnachts-Junker; French Girelle Paon Clown

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pa‘oro Re‘are‘a / Motumāroro (MG), Pākoukou (AT), Pokomārō (MK), Roimārō (MT), Karore (AK), Pātakotako (TS TW), Pakou [M] / Pāuloulo [F] (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Pitcairn, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to Norfolk - Kermadecs - Rapa

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; PLUS: common Angus Thompson Apr 1994; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: To 45cm SL. TP (male) head pink & unmarked. Body with 3 pink stripes joined ladder-like, between 'rungs' yellow & blue; All fins with blue margin or outer section. IP (female) pale greenish; body with 3 disrupted stripes, partially joined ladderlike; dorsal stripe broad, lower 2 narrow.

SIMILAR SPECIES: see Surge Wrasse (Thalassoma purpureum).

Enlarged Image of 'Thalassoma trilobatum'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
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

Thalassoma trilobatum (Lacepède, 1801)
SYNONYMS: Labrus trilobatus [O]

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

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Mangaia: specimen ip, College, 9/2000, ID GM; Teruapuºi, Keia District, reef-pool 0-2m, CAS73938, shallow lagoon, shallow pool 0-1m CAS73071/ Irori Tawaºena, reef-pool 0m, CAS73072/ in reef-pool 2m, CAS75532 (DSM58). Aitutaki: field sighting ID Angus Thompson 1994 common. Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

References:
text p.190 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 103d Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.339 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.468 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 103-10 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 79-10 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

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