Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Lagocephalus lagocephalus

Pelagic Balloonfish

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Pelagic Balloonfish, Pelagic Puffer, Pelagic Pufferfish, Oceanic Puffer, Rabbit Puffer

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE circumtropical - subtropics [Cooks & NZ are the only s.Pacific records]

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Open ocean, at the surface. PLUS: ; Marine, pelagic

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Not eaten.; Poisonous to eat?

KEY FEATURES: A round elongate fish, to 50cm SL. Smooth skin, with small extendable spines on the belly. Dark blue-grey above, silver sides and white underside. Fins soft and dark grey. Round fleshy mouth with beak-like teeth.

Enlarged Image of 'Lagocephalus lagocephalus'

Cook Islands Distribution

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

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)
SYNONYMS: Tetraodon lagocephalus [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Tetraodontiformes; Tetraodontoidei; Tetraodontoidea; TETRAODONTIDAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Not eaten.. Comments: Belongs to a group of toxic fish, the Puffers.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Poisonous to eat?

GENERAL NOTE: Pufferfishes are usually toxic, especially the viscera, gonads and skin. The flesh is often edible, but too easily contaminated with toxin during preparation.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: Paruru Pera 26/3/99, while lamp-fishing for Flyingfishes, 33cm SL, ID/Photo GMc.

References:
None recorded.

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. Copy citation to system clipboard
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