CIBED - - Keeled Needlefish - Miro Va‘a-roroa RR

Platybelone platyura Keeled Needlefish Miro Va‘a-roroa ^RR

f.BELONIDAE Needlefishes

Platybelone platyura Keeled Needlefish Miro Va‘a-roroa ^RR

f.BELONIDAE Needlefishes

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesKeeled Needlefish ^EN Gill‑rakered Needlefish ^EN Keeled Longtom ^EN Keeltail Needlefish ^EN Tropical Garfish ^EN Kielschwanz‑Hornhecht ^DE Orphie Carène ^FR

Local NamesMiro Va‘a-roroa^RR Miromiro^RR,AK Kakukaku^MG Akuaku^AT,MK,PK Miro^MT P,?N^PL,MH Ise^TNs,TNw

Pacific NamesAuau ^TAH Toroviri ^TUA Aku ^MVA Aku / Au ^MQS

Sci. NamesPlatybelone platyura (accepted name) , Platybelone argalus platyura, Platybelone argalus, Belone platyura

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, spc.Fishes, c.Bony Fishes, f.Needlefishes - Bony Fish

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.PISCES, c.OSTEICHTHYES, o.Beloniformes, so.Belonoidei, spf.Scomberesocoidea, f.BELONIDAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR^PMG^PAT^PMK^PMT?AK?PL^PMN?TK?

Nth. PresenceTN?MH^PRK?PK^PNS?SW?

VouchersRR¹⁹⁸⁸ MG²⁰⁰⁰ AT²⁰⁰⁰ MK²⁰⁰¹ PL¹⁹⁹⁵ MH¹⁹⁸⁸ PK²⁰⁰⁴

Local OriginNative; Resident

Global RangeNative: Maldives - Samoa - Cooks, Hawai‘i; n. to s.Japan; s. to n.NZ;

HabitatAquatic; Marine; Nearshore

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessNo Content

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationTo 45cm SL.

Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 2
Video: 0
Audio: 0
Documents: 0
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5BB242_Plat-arga_

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Adult

Keeled needlefish (& halfbeak fish)

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Adult (jpg)
Keeled needlefish (& halfbeak fish) (jpg)

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Keeled Needlefish ^EN Gill-rakered Needlefish^EN Keeled Longtom^EN Keeltail Needlefish^EN Tropical Garfish^EN Kielschwanz-Hornhecht^DE Orphie Carène^FR

Pacific Names

Auau ^TAH Toroviri^TUA Aku^MVA Aku / Au^MQS

Local Names

Miro Va‘a-roroa^RR Miromiro^RR,AK Kakukaku^MG Akuaku^AT,MK,PK Miro^MT P,?N^PL,MH Ise^TNs,TNw

National Name: Miro Va‘a-roroa ^RR

Notes: MH Miro - McCann

Island	Status	Main name
National name	RR	Miro Va‘a-roroa
Rarotonga	P	Miro Va‘a-roroa / Miromiro
Mangaia	P	Kakukaku
Ātiu	P	Akuaku
Ma‘uke	P	Akuaku
Miti‘āro		Miro
Aitutaki		Miromiro
Palmerston	P	P,?N
Tongareva-write		Ise
Tongareva-speak		Ise
Manihiki	P	P,?N
Rakahanga		?P,?N
Pukapuka	P	Akuaku
Nassau		?P,?N

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Absent

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	Present
Mangaia	Present
Ātiu	Present
Ma‘uke	Present
Miti‘āro
Aitutaki
Palmerston	Present
Manuae
Takūtea
Tongareva
Manihiki	Present
Rakahanga
Pukapuka	Present
Nassau
Suwarrow

Note: Uncommon in S.Group; common in N.Group. PLUS:

Vouchers for:
Platybelone platyura

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1988 1cs specimen specimen beach seine net, ID J.E.Randall in N.Sims 1988.

Mangaia _____ 2000 1cs specimen specimen, College, 9/2000, ID G.McCormack.

Ātiu _____ 2000 2fsP fieldspecimen+photo fieldspecimen+photo, College collection, 10/2000, ID G.McCormack.

Ma‘uke _____ 2001 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, College, 3/2001, ID G.McCormack.

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston _____ 1995 4bm book report reported (Preston95 p51).

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki _____ 1988 1cs specimen 2 specimen #A685 as Belone platyura (B&M74); specimen night scoop-netting ID J.E.Randall in N.Sims 1988

Rakahanga

Pukapuka _____ 2004 2fsP fieldspecimen+photo fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Platybelone argalus platyura.

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

no data available

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.03.16 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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Cook Islands Status Summary

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Platybelone platyura

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Platybelone platyura

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Vouchers for:
Platybelone platyura