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Zebrasoma scopas

Maito Tuātoka (AK)

Brown Tang

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Brown Tang, Bushtail Tang, Brown Sailfin Tang, Brown Sailfin Surgeonfish; German Brauner Segelflosser; French Chirurgien à Balai, Chirurgien à Robe Sombre, Chirurgien à Brosses

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Maito (RR AT TS TW), Maito Tuātoka (AK); Other Polynesian - Peretiti (TAH), Eakega Eakega (TUA)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. to s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe - Rapa

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group, uncommon; N.Group, common. PLUS:; Marine, near-shore, lagoon and outer reef-slope to 15m

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Injurous spines - moderate

KEY FEATURES: To 15cm SL.(RM91) [ 20cm - GBR]. Hybridizes with Zebrasoma flavescens, a northen hemisphere species.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
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

Zebrasoma scopas (Cuvier, 1829)
SYNONYMS: Acanthurus scopas [O]; Amanses scopas

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Acanthuroidei; ACANTHURIDAE, Acanthurinae

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: fieldsight, lagoon, 12/2000, GMcC. Palmerston: Listed as Zebrasoma flavescens (Preston95) CHECK SPECIMEN COLOUR. Suwarrow: field ID N.Sims (Sims EIA99).

References:
text p.249 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 130b Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.428 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.594 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 124-04 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 94-15 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 917 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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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