fish

Apr

2026

Unusual deepwater fish identified in 1998-99

Gerald McCormack, Director, CINHT

Long before the first Papa‘ā (Caucasians) visited the Cook Islands Polynesian fisherman were using drop-stone hand-lining at 100-150 fathoms (200-300 metres) to catch Vena, Mangā, ‘Ā’ā Mangā and Mangā Ru‘i. The fishing technique was a unique tradition of the Northern and Southern Cook Islands, Rimatara and Rurutu, and it was not introduced to the Society Islands, Tuamotu and Tubuai until after European contact^[1]. While the scientific identification of Vena and Mangā had been known for a long time, this article discusses the discovery of ‘Ā’ā Mangā in 1998, and Mangā Ru‘i in April 1999.

The four fishes belong to the Snake-Mackerel Family, which are deepwater predators, with strong conical teeth along the jaws and a few razor-sharp fangs on the roof of the mouth. These fishes generally live at depths of 200-500 metres, sometimes migrating upwards at night. While we usually call them snake-mackerels, they are also known as gemfishes and escolars. Continue reading →

Apr

2026

Our Family of Stinging Fishes

The most venomous fishes in the Cook Islands are several Lionfishes and Scorpionfishes, and a Stonefish, which all belong to the Scorpionfishes family. All members of this family have poison glands associated with hollow fin-spines, especially the dorsal spines, to inject poisonous proteins into animals that attack them. Although the puncture wounds from the spines are small and inconspicuous, a sharp throbbing pain develops almost immediately, and within minutes it spreads up the limb and intensifies.

Lionfishes have a weak system of injecting their venom. Scorpionfishes have a more efficient system of injecting the poison. The most serious of all stinging fishes, the Stonefish, has very large poison glands and an extremely efficient system of injecting the venom. The degree of pain is a measure of the seriousness of the sting – Lionfishes and small Scorpionfishes cause the victim to cringe with pain, large Scorpionfishes cause the victim to almost lose control with pain, while the Stonefish causes the victim to thrash about uncontrollably and scream in agony. Only in the most unusual circumstances are stings from Lionfishes and Scorpionfishes life threatening, but a serious sting from a Stonefish, without suitable treatment, can progress over a period of a few hours to extreme breathing difficulty, convulsions, and even death. Continue reading →

Mar

2026

The World’s Largest Frogfish

Gerald McComack, CINHT

Pupuke Robati’s Frogfish caught 3km west of Rarotonga – Gerald McCormack

Frogfishes are a family of fishes that look like misshapen toads – hence the name frogfishes. They are usually less than 20cm long, with some species less than 5cm in total length. They are sedentary ambush-feeders. Unsuspecting prey are attracted to a small beacon on the frogfish’s snout only to discover they are falling into an enormous gaping mouth. Because their life-style is similar to the stonefish they look rather similar in appearance, although the beacon above the mouth is a giveaway. Frogfish do not have the defensive poisonous spines that make stonefish so feared. Continue reading →

Feb

2026

Cook Islands’ Needlefishes

Gerald McCormack, CINHT

Illustration showing identifying features of the four needlefish species found in Cook Islands

The Cook Islands’ biodiversity database lists 650 species of marine bony-fishes. In looking at the distribution of fishes across the Pacific it is obvious that there must be at least another hundred to be recorded locally. The Trust is always interested in information on new and unusual records.

For the needlefish family the database lists four species: Keeled Needlefish (Miro Va‘a-roroa, Platybelone platyura), Houndfish or Crocodile Needlefish (‘Aku, Tylosurus crocodilus), Reef Needlefish (‘Aku, Strongylura incisa ) and the Flat Needlefish (Pāpā, Ablennes hians).

The Keel-jawed Needlefish has been recorded across the South Pacific, but not specifically in the Cook Islands. However, it is an off-shore species and therefore very unlikely to have been caught in Ngatangi‘ia harbour.

Many species of fish have distinctive features and are reasonably easily identified from photographs, but some require a more detailed analysis of specimens. In the illustration we show some of the more conspicuous features of the four species of needlefish positively identified in the Cook Islands. Continue reading →

fish

Unusual deepwater fish identified in 1998-99

Our Family of Stinging Fishes

The World’s Largest Frogfish

Cook Islands’ Needlefishes

Tags

From our Archives