General Information

COMMON NAMES: Smallspotted Pompano, Black-spotted Dart, Smallspot Pompano, Silver Pompano; German Flecken-Pompano; French Poisson-manège, Trachnote à Points Noirs, Pompaneau Muscadin TRADITIONAL NAMES: Ra‘i (MG), Rai (AT MK MT), Ririona (AK), Kaoke (PL), Soke (TS TW), Kahoke (MH), Yoke (PK); Other Polynesian - Papio (TAH), Hoka (TUA), Hoki (MQA) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe - Rapa COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Native, common PLUS: Both Groups.; Marine, near-shore, reef-flat & outer reef-slope, especially surge zones KEY FEATURES: To 55cm SL, Depth ~2.5 in SL. Silvery-grey above and silvery-white below; without scutes on hind lateral line; Pectoral Fin shorter than head length; and long lobes on 2nd Dorsal, Anal and tail. BY 15CM SL HAVE 1-5 SMALL BLACK SPOTS (~Ø of pupil) IN ROW ON OR NEAR STRAIGHT SECTION OF LATERAL LINE. 1st Dorsal spines short without membranes. 2nd Dorsal and Anal with long anterior lobes; 2nd Dorsal, Anal and Tail grey, darkest on the lobes. SIMILAR SPECIES: Silver Pompano (Trachinotus blochii) has a rounded snout; less Gill Rakers to 18 (vs. 22+); large adults yellow-orange below; without black spots (vs 0-5 spots, increasing with age). Not confirmed in Cook Islands.

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: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P

Trachinotus baillonii (Lacepède, 1802)
SYNONYMS: Caesiomorus baillonii [O]; Trachynotus baillonii

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Percoidei; Percoidea; CARANGIDAE, Trachinotinae

Vouchers:
Cooks: Smith-Vaniz 1984, Carangidae. in FAO Species ID sheets. Area 51 vol.1. Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: fieldspecimen, ONE black spot, College, ID GMcC. Palmerston: specimen & photo Sims (Sims88), also listed (Preston95). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Trachinotus baillonii.

References:
Special Reference: Smith-Vaniz 1984, Carangidae. in FAO Species ID sheets. Area 51 vol.1.

text p.132 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 47e Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.168 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.254 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 42-07 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 39-10 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 392 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM06a, zD02

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