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Xiphias gladius

‘Aurā Pō (MK)

Swordfish

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Swordfish, Broadbill, Broadbill Swordfish; French Espadon

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Akurā (RR), ‘Aurā Pō (MK), Akulā (PK); Other Polynesian - Haura (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE circumtropical - temperate zones (to 35°S)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group. (RR) PLUS: Verbal from Ron Powell (Sims).; Marine, pelagic 0-800m

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food, Gamefish

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758
SYNONYMS: Xiphias jmperator [O]

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

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimens long-liner late60s early 70s, ID R.Powell (Sims88). Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

References:
p.442 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.604 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 96-06 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 350 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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