CIBED - - Hound Needlefish

Tylosurus crocodilus Hound Needlefish ‘Aku ^RR

f.BELONIDAE Needlefishes

Tylosurus crocodilus Hound Needlefish ‘Aku ^RR

f.BELONIDAE Needlefishes

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesHound Needlefish ^EN , Houndfish ^EN Crocodile Longtom ^EN Crocodile Needlefish ^EN Crocodilian Longtom ^EN Riesen‑Hornhecht ^DE Orphie Crocodile ^FR

Local Names‘Aku^RR,MG Aku^{AT,MK,MT,TNs,TNw,PK} Taravana^AK Haku^MH Aku-pā?^PK

Pacific NamesAavere ^TAH Aurepe ^TAH Eakupapa ^TUA Kokoua ^MVA Au ^MQS

Sci. NamesTylosurus crocodilus (accepted name) , Belone crocodila, Strongylura gigantea

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⁺MG^PAT^PMK^PMT?AK?PL?MN?TK?

Nth. PresenceTN^PMH?RK?PK^PNS?SW?

VouchersRR¹⁹⁶⁷ MG¹⁹⁸¹ AT²⁰⁰⁰ PK²⁰⁰⁴

Local OriginNative; Resident

Global RangeNative: circumtropical - temperate zones;

HabitatAquatic; Marine; Nearshore, Atoll lagoon, Reef-flat, Shallow slope

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessNo Content

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationElongate to 150cm, ± cyclindrical body. Jaws long and equal, many vertical canines. Dark fleshy keel on side of tail-stalk; tail truncate, with enlarged lower lobe. Dark blue-green above, silvery sides, whitish belly.

Similar SpeciesThe Flat Needlefish (Ablennes hians) has a ribbonlike body amore...nd dark bars on the sides of the body below the dorsal fin. Stongylura spp. Have elongate round bodies, but lack a keel on the tail-stalk. Easily confused with other Tylosurus. Features to record include: tongue texture; rays of Dorsal, Anal and pectoral fins; body depth to SL; angle of canines; exact insertion point of Pelvic fins - take all distances from tip of jaw.

Interest NoteNo Content

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5BB242_Tylo-croc_

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Hound Needlefish ^EN [Foodfishv2.1] Houndfish^EN Crocodile Longtom^EN Crocodile Needlefish^EN Crocodilian Longtom^EN Riesen-Hornhecht^DE Orphie Crocodile^FR

Pacific Names

Aavere ^TAH Aurepe^TAH Eakupapa^TUA Kokoua^MVA Au^MQS

Local Names

‘Aku^RR,MG Aku^{AT,MK,MT,TNs,TNw,PK} Taravana^AK Haku^MH Aku-pā?^PK

National Name: ‘Aku ^RR

Island	Status	Main name	Growth stage names
National name	RR	‘Aku
Rarotonga	+	‘Aku
Mangaia	P	‘Aku
Ātiu	P	Aku	Akuaku < Aku
Ma‘uke	P	Aku
Miti‘āro		Aku
Aitutaki		Taravana
Palmerston		?P,?N
Tongareva-write	P	Aku
Tongareva-speak	P	Aku
Manihiki		Haku
Rakahanga		?P,?N
Pukapuka	P	Aku / Aku-pā?
Nassau		?P,?N

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

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: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', 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: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', 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	+
Mangaia	Present
Ātiu	Present
Ma‘uke	Present
Miti‘āro
Aitutaki
Palmerston
Manuae
Takūtea
Tongareva	Present
Manihiki
Rakahanga
Pukapuka	Present
Nassau
Suwarrow

Note: At surface in lagoons and in ocean. PLUS:

Vouchers for:
Tylosurus crocodilus

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1967 9uc not classified 102cm S.L. Nooroa Katuke, 14/5/99, ID G.McCormack & Fritha Stalker, keyed to species from Munro67.

Mangaia _____ 1981 3fvP fieldvisual+photo photo ID by residents (Clerk81).

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

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka _____ 2004 5ir informant report informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004.

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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Vouchers for:
Tylosurus crocodilus

Identification

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Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

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References

Citation Information

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