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Halichoeres melasmapomus

Black-ear Wrasse

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Image:	Adult	32KB
Image:	Terminal phase male and initial phase	38KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Black-ear Wrasse, Ocellated Wrasse, Black-eared Wrasse; German Pinky Junker; French Labre à Oreilles Noires

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pātakotako (TS TW)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Cocos - Pitcairn, not Hawai‘i; n. to Philippines, s. to GBR

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group. (RR) PLUS: Single photo RR 48m (Sims); Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope; Usually near steep slopes, from 10-60m, usually 30+m

KEY FEATURES: To 14cm SL., with 4 projecting canines per jaw. IP orange with yellowish stripes; and with 2-5 dark spots with pale edges - 1 behind eye, 1 on upper tail-base, and 3 on Dorsal Fin. TP (male) grey-brown with red-orange centred scales; a large black spot with pale trim behind the eye, and sometimes on upper tail-base; face with yellow and blue-green lines.

Enlarged Image of 'Halichoeres melasmapomus'

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

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

Halichoeres melasmapomus Randall, 1981
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Julidini

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: Photo 48m depth Tikioki ID N.Sims, confirmed J.E.Randall (Sims88).

References:
text p.186 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 98e Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.319 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.442 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 98-12 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 76-09 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.
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