First we composed a classification tree for the most likely families of fishes to be found in temperate to tropical seas. We then consulted the Niue language dictionary Tohi Vagahau Niue for Niuean names for fishes, assuming that this would cover the most common fishes found in the area. We then also added our own observations from photos taken in the sea around Niue. In this manner we are certain that the fish species listed here are indeed found around Niue. But of course many remain unmentioned and may never find their way here. The author is grateful for any reliable fish observations and photos that may augment this list, and he is also grateful for corrections. Can you identify the unidentified species? Where a scientific name is underlined, it links to a photo of the species. Use the back button of your browser to return to this page.

Use the Edit/find option of your browser to quickly find what you want.
For comments, suggestions and improvements, e-mail the author. Read tips for printing.
-- seafriends home -- Niue index -- sitemap -- Rev20051004,

• Order
• Family
• [subfamily, sometines]
• Genus - species, common name (local name). [more optional information]

• Eptattetridae - hagfishes. hagfish.
• Geotriidae - lampreys: lamprey

• Selachiformes - sharks and dogfishes
• Brachaeluridae - blindsharks: Long nasal barbels and both dorsal fins placed between beginning of ventral and anal fins. Usually black or dark brown.
• Rhiniodontidae - whale sharks: whale shark
• Cetorhinidae - basking sharks: basking shark,
• Stegostomatidae - zebra sharks: Small nasal barbels, very long tail. Ridges along upper body. Juveniles have zebra-like black and white banding, becoming spotted in adults. Leopard shark
• Ginglymostomidae - nurse sharks: grey nurse shark
• Odontaspididae - sand tiger sharks: sand tiger shark,
• Alopiidae - thresher sharks: thresher shark,
• Heterodontidae - horn or bullhead sharks: Blunt head with crest above each eye. Identically shaped dorsal fins but second fin slightly smaller, each headed by a venomous spine. Small mouth positioned low and behind. Port Jackson shark,
• Lamnidae - mackerel sharks: Porbeagle shark, mako shark, great white shark,
• Hexanchidae - sixgill sharks: sixgill shark, broadsnouted sevengill shark, sharpsnouted sevengill shark, frill shark,
• Hemiscylliidae - bamboo sharks & epaulette sharks:
• Parascylliidae - collared catsharks: Slender shape, small head with nasal barbels and grove joinign nostrils to mouth. Mouth reaching no further than below eye. Ventral, dorsal and anal fins alternate in position along body.
• Scyliorhinidae - catsharks: snout pointed, sometimes very. Mouth under head, below eyes. First dorsal fin behind ventral fin and 2nd dorsal just behind anal fin. In some species all fins placed over rear end of body. Carpet shark, Dawsons catshark, deepwater catshark
• Squalidae - spiny dogfishes: prickly dogfish, grey spiny dogfish, shovelnose spiny sogfish, Plunkets shark, Owstons spiny dogfish, deepwater dogfish,
• Triakidae - smooth-hounds: spotted smooth-hound, slender smooth-hound,
• Orectolobidae - wobbegong sharks, carpet sharks: Long barbels on snout and head has many skin flaps. Body is flattened and mottled as in a carpet. Wobbegong
• Carcharinidae - requiem sharks, whaler sharks: streamlined body, thickest under first dorsal fin. School shark, tiger shark, blue shark, bronze whaler shark,
• Carcharhinus albimarginatus, silvertip shark
• Carcharhinus galapagensis, Galapagos shark
• Carcharhinus melanopterus, blacktip reef shark
• Triaenodon obesus, white-tip reef shark (mago paala - mago).
• Sphyrnidae - hammerhead sharks: hammerhead shark,
• Pristidae - sawfishes:
• Squatinidae - angel sharks: body flattened, long fins but lacking anal fin. Superficially resembling rays except that the fins are not attached to the head.
• Rhinobatidae - shovelnose rays: thick and elongated body and snout, head depressed and breastfins small and part of it.
• Rhynchobatidae - sharkfin guitarfishes: very much like shovelnose rays but rear end more shark like.
• Rajiformes - skates and rays
• Torpedinidae - electric rays, torpedo rays: round, thick, flabby body. Head often blunt with kidney-shaped electric organs sideways. Tail with one or two dorsal fins. Colour from sandy grey to almost black. Electric ray
• Narkidae - blind electric rays: blind electric ray
• Rajidae - true skates: rough skate, smooth skate, Richardsons deepsea skate, deepsea skate, prickly deepsea skate, long-tailed skate
• Dasyatidae - stingrays: short-tailed stingray, long-tailed stingray
• Urolophidae - stingarees: Disc greatly flattened and usually rounded. Tail with two venomous spines and mall tailfin. Eyes raised with large spiracles right behind.
• Rhinopteridae - cownose rays:
• Myliobatididae - eagle rays: angular disc with whiplike tail. Head only slightly raised and eyes viewing sideways. eagle ray
• Mobulidae - manta rays, devil rays: manta ray
• Callorhynchidae - elephant fishes: sharklike body and fins but fleshy proboscis on snout. Single pair of gill slits, lacking a spiracle. elephant fish
• Chimaeridae - ghost sharks: dark ghost shark, pale ghost shark
• Rhinochimaeridae - long-nosed chimaeras: long-nosed chimaera

• Anguilliformes - Eels
• Anguillidae - freshwater eels: longfinned eel, shortfinned eel
• Muraenidae - moray eels: thick skinned round body, flattened towards the end. Single median fin beginning behind and above the small gill opening, all the way around the tail to the anus. Mouth often with large long jaws.
• Rhinomuraena quaesita, ribbon eel
• Echidna nebulosa, clouded moray, snowflake moray. White snout and flowered body. Lives in shallow reefs and rockpools, hunting for crabs. 70cm.
• Gymnothorax javanicus: giant moray. Brown-yellow with irregular spots. Black blotch on gill opening. Large and fat, to 240cm, 40kg.
• Gymnothorax meleagris, white-mouth moray. Dark brown with numerous small round spots. Inside of mouth and tail tip white. 120cm.
• Gymnothorax rueppellii, yellowhead banded moray. Body banded white/grey through dorsal fin. Head yellowish. Small solitary moray to 80cm. In the photo about to pounce on a small fish at night. Fully exposed.
• Siderea picta, peppered moray. Pale to white with small brown to black spots. Lives in shallow water, rock pools and preys on crabs. Large 100cm.
• Siderea thyrsoidea, white-eyed moray. Small moray (65cm) with distinctive large white eyes, light body colour with faint mottling and light snout. Lives in shallow water and rockpools.
• Enchelycore schismatorhynchus, bentjaw moray. Light tan to grey with white margin on fins. Jaws with many daggerlike teeth. Nocturnal. Medium sized to 120cm.
• Nemichthydiae - snipe eels:
• Synaphobranchidae - cut-throat eels:
• Ophichthidae - snake eels: long tubular bodies with pointed snout. snake eel, longfinned worm eel.
• Myrichthys maculosus, spotted snake eel
• Congridae - conger eels: common conger, northern conger, silver conger, umbrella conger , swollenhead conger, hairy conger, garden eel
• Heterocongridae - garden eels:
• Clupeiformes - herrings, sardines, sprats. silvery fishes with extendable mouths and fine gill rakers, capable of catching plant plankton.
• Clupeidae - herrings, pilchards, sardines: silvery fishes with weakly attached scales. A single centrally placed dorsal fin, large extensible jaws with tiny teeth and numerous elongated gill rakers. Fins are short at the base and entirely soft-rayed. sprat, pilchard
• Sardine (satini)
• Engraulididae - anchovies: elongate silvery body with blunt protruding snout and weakly attached scales and soft-rayed fins. Anchovy,
• Siluriformes - catfishes
• Plotosidae - eeltail catfishes: elongate tapering bodies and barbels around mouth.
• Gonorynchiformes -
• Gonorynchidae - sand fishes: sand fish
• Cypriniformes - carps
• Cyprinidae - carps: goldfish, grass carp, silver carp, rudd, tench
• Salmoniformes - salmon, trout
• Argentinidae - silversides: silverside
• Galaxiidae - whitebait: giant kokopu, koaro, dwarf kokopu, banded kokopu, dwarf inanga, inanga, alpine kokopu, shortjawed kokopu, longjawed kokopu, river kokopu, brown mudfish, canterbury mudfish, black mudfish
• Salmonidae - salmon and trout: sockeye salmon, quinnat salmon, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout, brook char, mackinaw
• Stomiiformes -
• Aulopiformes -
• Aulopidae - sergeant bakers: salmon-like with large head and jaws with several rows of fine teeth. Eyes above end of mouth. Fins soft-rayed.
• Synodontidae - lizardfishes: torped-shaped bodies with exceptionally large mouth and eyes placed above it. Fins short-based and soft-rayed. A tiny fatty fin above the anal fin. Lizardfish, deepsea lizardfish
• Harpadontidae - grinners/sauries: similar to lizardfish but with numerous rows of needle teeth. Ventral fin with a feeble spine and 8 rays.
• Saurida nebulosa, blotched grinner. As S. gracilis but has shorter breastfins and is smaller to 20cm. Photo2.
• Saurida gracilis, slender grinner. Medium sized to 28cm with 3 dark or diffused bars on rear of body, line pattern on lips and visible teeth when mouth is closed. Solitary on sand or silt in calm water.
• Paralepipidae - barracudinas:
• Myctophiformes - lanternfishes
• Myctophidae - lanternfishes:
• Ophidiiformes - lings
• Ophidiidae - lings:
• Gadiformes - cods
• Moridae - morid cods, beardies: elongated tapering body with tiny cycloid scales, a large head with chin barbels and hipfins placed forward as feelerlike filaments. ahuru, red cod, northern bastard red cod, southern bastard red cod, rock cod,
• Gadidae - true cods: southern blue whiting, rockling,
• Merluciidae - hakes: hake, hoki,
• Lophiiformes - anglerfishes
• Antennariidae - anglerfishes: modified first dorsal fin with lure. 3rd dorsal spine greatly enlarged.
• Gobiesociformes - clingfishes
• Gobiesocidae - clingfishes: urchin clingfish, orange clingfish, striped clingfish, lumpfish
• Beloniformes/ Cyprinodontiformes - halfbeaks
• Exocoetidae - flying fishes: flying fish
• Cypselurus sp., flying fish (mahave, ika lele- ika)
• Cheilopogon sp., flying fish (mahave, ika lele- ika)
• Hemiramphidae - halfbeaks, garfishes: long, thin silvery fishes with greatly extended lower jaw. Ventral fins placed far back. piper
• Belonidae - needlefishes, longtoms: as halfbeaks but with very long equal-sized jaws with numerous needle teeth. Needle fish, long tom, crocodilefish
• Tylosurus crocodilus, crocodile longtom (aku pa, aku tagata).
• Strongylura incisa, reef needlefish
• Atherinidae - hardyheads: schooling fish with slender body and broad silvery lateral band. Large eyes, moderate scales.
• Isonidae - surf sardines: schooling fish with greatly compressed body and keel-like abdomen. Silvery and highly reflective.
• ??Scomberesocidae - silver sauries: saury
• Lampriformes
• Lampridae - opahs: moonfish,
• Lophotidae - crested bandfishes: crested band fish
• Beryciformes -
• Anomalopidae - flashlightfishes:
• Monocentrididae - pineapple fishes: prominent light organ on sides of lower jaw, used at night to locate prey. Yellow body with black markings resembling a pineapple.
• Trachichthyidae - roughys, sandpaperfish: body compressed and deep. Scutes (scales with sharp ridges) placed on rear side of belly. Can make buzzing or clicking sounds. common roughy, slender roughy, orange roughy, silver roughy
• Trachichthys steindachneri, pomfret (kokio - palu)
• Bericidae - alfonsinos, nannygai, red snapper: predominantly red sideways compressed bodies with moderately large ctenoid scales. Deeply forked tailfin. Most school in great numbers. Golden snapper, alfonsino
• Holocentridae - squirrelfishes: prominent, sometimes poisonous spine on lower corner of gill cover. squirrelfishes and soldierfishes
• Holocentrinae - squirrelfishes:
• Sargocentron microstoma, fine-lined squirrelfish. Small 19cm fish with fine red and white lines. Black markings on front of first back fin. Long white margin on anal spine.
• Sargocentron cornutum, three-spot squirrelfish, (ika ta - ika)
• Sargocentron punctatissimum, peppered squirrelfish.
• Sargocentron spiniferum, long-jawed sabre squirrelfish (ta gutuloa - ta). Large (45cm) with yellowish fins and long cheek spine.
• Neoniphon sammara, spotfin silver squirrelfish. A solitary fish with silver body and fine red lines. Soft fins red in front, faint yellow behind. Dorsal fin with white tips and black spot. Large 32cm.
• Neoniphon argenteus, clearfin sliver squirrel fish. A small (19cm) solitary fish with silver body and fine red lines. Dorsal fin clear with white tips. Soft fins not yellow.
• Myripristinae - soldierfishes: as squirrelfish but with smaller gill cover spine and having blunter heads.
• Myripristis vittata, white-tipped soldierfish
• Myripristis kuntee, epaulette soldierfish with dark band behind eye
• Myripristis pralinia, scarlet soldierfish.
• Myripristis violacea, purple soldierfish (selekihi, ta matapula)
• Zeiformes - dories
• Zeidae - dories: very sideways compressed, round bodies with extendable oblique mouth. john dory, mirror dory, capro dory, silver dory
• Oreosomatidae - oreo dories: smooth oreo, spiky oreo, warty oreo
• Gasterosteiformes - sea moths
• Pegasidae - sea moths:
• Syngnathiformes - flutemouths and pipefishes
• Aulostomidae - Trumpetfishes: long tubular or flattened body and long trumpetlike mouth. Dorsal fin has small separate spines, each followed by a triangular membrane, the soft part of which is large and situated near the tail.
• Aulostomus chinensis, trumpetfish (haohao). Long, compressed body with long, trumpetlike snout and small mouth. Colour highly variable from yellow to brown and pale with dark tail saddle.
• Fistulariidae - flutemouths: long tubular bodies with extremely long snout but small mouth. Soft-rayed fins.
• Fistularia commersonii, smooth flutemouth, cornetfish. Long slender silvery tubular body with olive back. Long snout with small mouth. Tail fin with whip-like filament. Solitary or in small schools, to 150cm.
• Centriscidae - shrimpfishes: in small schools, swimming nose down.
• Pegasidae - sea moths: body encased in rigid plates and tail encircled with bony rings. Ventral fins reduced to pairs of slender structures for crawling. Breastfins wing like.
• Solenostomidae - ghost pipefishes: head is pipefish like with a long tubular mouth but body is short and compressed, protected by bony plates. 2 separate backfins and large ins all round. Enlarged anal fin is opposite second dorsal.
• Macrorhamphosidae - snipefishes: long-nosed snipefish, snipefish, banded bellowsfish, crested bellowsfish
• Syngnathidae - pipefishes and seahorses: body protected by bony plates, arranged in rings. Long tubular snout with small toothless mouth. No ventral fins. anal and tailfins lacking.
• Hippocampinae - sea horses: seahorse
• Syngnathidae - pipefishes: pipefish, spiny sea dragon,
• Corythoichthys flavofasciatus, network pipefish. Normally pale green or yellow with darker bands and fine stripes or network pattern. Small 18cm.
• Scorpaeniformes - scorpionfishes and gurnards
• Scorpaenidae - scorpion fishes: well camouflaged, no swim bladder. Spiny ridges onn head. scorpionfish, sea perch, firefish, lionfish, stonefish
• Pterois volitans, common lionfish/ firefish. Young ones are dark black to brown. Inhabits shady areas.  Young lionfish.
• Pterois radiata, white-lined lionfish, clearfin lionfish.
• Scorpaenopsis diabolus, devil scorpionfish. Pronounced hump on back, highly variable in colour, generally drab shades blending with surroundings. Lives on rubble or weed bottom of coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs. closeup.
• Scorpaenopsis macrochir, flasher scorpionfish. Similar to devil scorpionfish but much smaller (15cm). Shorter snout and less pronounced hump on back. Colour variable. Lives on rubble, weed and rocks.
• Synanceia verrucosa, reef stonefish (nofu). Globular shape appears as algae-covered stone with prominent warts and skin flaps. Eyes far apart with deep pit in between. Venomous fin spines are deadly.
• Pataecidae - prowfishes: compressed bodies, no swimbladder, long dorsal fin which begins over the fromt of the ehad. Ventral fins absent. Tough skin instead of scales.
• Gnathaanacanthidae - red velvetfishes: no swimbladder, long round fins all around. Well developed ventral fins with membrane attached to abdomen. High dorsal fin with deep notch. skin covered with fleshy projections, giving a velvety feel in adults.
• Tetrarogidae - waspfishes:
• Gongiopodidae - pigfishes: southern pigfish,
• Triglidae - gurnards: red gurnard, spotted gurnard, scaly gurnard
• Dactylopteridae - flying gurnards: like gurnards but with exceptionally long breastfins.
• Platycephalidae - flatheads: head greatly depressed with bony ridges and large pungent spines. Large breast fins and ventral fins immediately underneath.
• Cottidae - sculpins:
• Perciformes -
• Percichthyidae - temperate basses: hapuku, bass,
• Serranidae - groupers and sea perches: Most have tiny scales and an indistinct lateral line. All have 24 vertebrae and body outline rounded including fins.
• Serraninae - groupers & cods: rockcods, groupers
• Cephalopholis spiloparaea, strawberry grouper. Small (22cm) solitary grouper with even reddish orange colour and some mottling or lighter spots. Blue to pale outline on tail.
• Cephalopholis miniata, coral grouper (malau pokoahu). Yellow to orange from front to back, with blue dots.
• Cephalopholis urodeta, flagtail grouper (mataele). Orange with white diagonal lines across tail.
• Cephalopholis aurantia, golden grouper (pelepele)
• Cephalopholis igarasiensis, grouper (palu kulukulu - palu)
• Cephalopholis argus, peacock grouper (loi). brown-green with blue-purple fins and blue-ringed spots. 55cm.
• Cephalopholis sonnerati, tomato grouper (kaupatuo). Orange-red with dense network of red spots on head and fainter spots on body. Fins slightly blue-fringed.
• Epinephelus hexagonatus, spotted rock cod (gatala).
• Epinephelus morrhua, snakeskin cod (palu pusi).
• Epinephelus merra, honeycomb rockcod (gatala).
• Epinephelus hexagonatus, hexagon grouper. Small 26cm grouper with whitish undercolour, closely packed in hexagonal orange to red spots. On its back these spots merge into 5-7 blotches. Solitary.
• Epinephelus fasciatus, black tipped grouper (talaao)
• Epinephelus retouti, grouper (gutukafu)
• Epinehelus tauvina, greasy grouper (gatala). Similar to honeycomb grouper but with vertical blotches.
• Epinephelus puerra, rock cod (gutuvai)
• Plectropomus leopardus, coral trout (kiega). Red with small white spots.
• Variola albimarginata, white-edged lyretail, lunar-tailed cod (malau).
• Anthiinae - basslets & seaperches: very colourful small fish, very difficult to photograph
• Gramnistinae - soapfishes: gold ribbon groper
• Centropomidae - barramundi: concave snout and head with large mouth. Long-bodied. Dorsal fin deeply notched. Large scales.
• Pseudochromidae - dottybacks: slender and colourful fishes. body elongated, head long and eyes large with elongated pupil.
• Plesiopidae - longfins, blue devils: like pseudochromidae, with larger fins and iridescent lines or blue spots. Blue devils.
• Priacanthidae - bigeyes: very large eyes and mouth. Compressed, elongated body. Ventral fins connected to body by a membrane.
• Heteropriacanthus cruentatus, blotched bigeye, glasseye (kaene).  Variable red to silver with variable bars. Fins lightly spotted or mottled. Tail slightly rounded. Solitary to 32cm.
• Acanthoclinidae - rockfishes, spiny basslets: as Pseudochromidae with more dorsal & anal fin spines but ventral fins with only one or two rays. rockfish
• Glaucosomatidae, pearl perches: Deep-bodied and silvery as adults, often with lines as juveniles. Long filaments sometimes trailing from median fins.
• Terapontidae - trumpeters and grunters: Small ctenoid scales, extended into sheaths along dorsal and anal fin bases. A prominent spine on opercle and strong spines in fins. Generally marked with longitudinal stripes or spots.
• Apogonidae - cardinalfishes: small elongate live-bearing fishes with separate angular backfins, torpedo body shape, large mouth and eyes. Two spines in anal fins.
• Cheilodipterus macrodon, tiger cardinalfish.
• Apogon cookii, Cook's cardinalfish. 5 alternating white and black bands, with two white stripes through eyes, but no tail spot. Lives in very shallow water and rock pools. 10cm.
• Apogon taeniophorus, white lined reef-flat cardinalfish
• Apogon fraenatus, bridled cardinal fish (gu)
• Apogon menesemus, cardinal fish (palu gu - palu)
• Apogon kallopterus, iridescent cardinal fish (ulumula). Pale pinkish brown with dark side stripe and yellow first dorsal.
• Unidentified cardinal fishes: cardinal1 (tiger?), purple cardinal,
• Dinolestidae - longfin pikes: long cylindrical bodyand pointed head. LMany soft rays in dorsal & anal fins and one spine in anal fin.
• Malacanthidae - tilefishes and blanquillos: blenny-like fishes swimming in the open
• Pomatomidae - tailors: body streamlined with smooth scales and a large tail. Jaws with small compressed sharp teeth in single rows.
• Rachycentridae - cobias: a unique shape, snout bent upward.
• Labracoglossidae - knifefishes: blue knifefish, grey knifefish
• Echeneidae - remoras: have a unique sucker on their heads. Body long and slender. shark sucker, slender remora, grey marlinsucker, hardfin marlinsucker
• Carangidae -  jacks, trevallies, scads and darts: trevally (tavali), horse mackerel, kingfish, samsonfish, pilotfish
• Caranx sexfasciatus: bigeye trevally (ulua). Silver bodies but males can turn black when courting. Small black spot on upper gill cover. White tips on anal and back fin. Can form large schools. Large to 100cm.
• Caranx melampygus: bluefin trevally (aheu). Silvery iridescent blue to green with dense spotting on upper part of body. Blue fins. solitary or in small schools. Large 100cm. Photo2.
• Caranx ignobilis, great trevally (ulua).
• Caranx lugubris, black trevally (tafauli).
• Gnathanodon speciosus, golden trevally (gutu uli)
• Trachinotus baillonii, small-spotted dart, black-spotted swallowtail (lai). Silvery flat body with long swallow tail and bakc&anal fins long and pointed like swallow tails. Small black spots along sideline.
• Atule mate, yellowtail scad (atule)
• Scomberoides lyson, queenfish leatherskin, double-spotted queenfish (lai loa).
• Selar crumenopthalmus, bigeye scad (atule).
• Seriola rivoliana, almaco jack (palu tikava - palu). Trevally with dark strip through eye.
• Seriola dumerili, amberjack (palu tikava). A long, silvery kingfish.
• Elegatus bipinnulatus, rainbow runner (samani). Silver olive-blue with blue long stripes.
• Decapterus macrosoma, round scad (ulihega)
• Coryphaenidae - dolphinfishes: dolphinfish
• Coryphaena hippurus, dolphinfish, mahimahi (tolofine, palelafa).
• Bramidae - pomfrets: rays bream,
• Arripidae - kahawais: kahawai,
• Caesionidae - fusiliers: bodies oval, compressed and streamlined with a forked tail and small mouth.
• Pterocaesio tile, blue streak fusilier fish (ulihega iua - ulihego)
• Sciaenidae - jewfishes: moderately elongate bodies, somewhat compressed and small scales. Backfin is deeply notched and has a long soft section. Short anal fin base.
• Leiognathidae - ponyfishes: Deep compressed bodies with slimy skin, shiny sides and tiny scales. Mouth very extendable. A series of small spines along the dorsal and anal fin bases.
• Gerreidae - silverbellies, mojarras: similar to ponyfishes in looks and behaviour but distinctly scaled.
• Kuhliidae - flagtails:
• Kuhlia mugil, barred flagtail. small silver fish with horizontally banded tail, living in shallow reefs from plankton.
• Haemulidae - sweetlips: most go through elaborate colour changes in their life and the young are often plain with small spots or lines and large tails.
• Lethrinidae - emperors: distinctly scaled and fins large with a spinous section.
• Monotaxis grandoculis, humpnose bigeye bream, large-eyed bream (fotuo).
• Nemipteridae - spinecheeks and whiptails: spinecheeks have a prominent spine below the eye.
• Emmelychthyidae - bonnetmouths: red bait, ruby fish
• Sparidae - seabreams: oval shaped and shiny bodies with moderate scales. Mouth placed low and jaws have conical teeth and anterior canines. snapper,
• Lutjanidae - true snappers, coral snappers: perch-like with an elongated scaly body and a single dorsal fin with hard section. Identification is easiest by their colours although the young may differ.
• Lutjanus bohar, red snapper (fagamea).
• Lutjanus kasmira, blue-lined snapper (fouigo)
• Lutjanus monostigma, one-spot snapper (hiku ila - hiku)
• Aprion virescens, green jobfish (palu monega, utu)
• Paracaesio kusakarii, Kusakar's snapper (kulapu)
• Paracaesio multidens, bold banded job fish (palu hai - palu)
• Paracaesio auricilla, goldflag jobfish (hahave - palu)
• Etelis coruscans, longtail snapper (pakeo)
• Etelis carbunculus, red snapper (palu fagamea).
• Pristipomoidus zonatus, flower snapper (palu heahea)
• Aphareus furca, smalltooth jobfish (palu po - palu). Slender, blue-grey, large mouth, forked tail, long pectoral fins. Solitary or in small groups.
• Aphareus rutilens, red jobfish (palu gu).
• Mullidae - goatfishes: elongate tapering body with medium scales and well separated dorsal fins. Mouth has barbels on chin. Tailfin deeply forked. Most can change colour quickly. goatfish, red mullet,
• Parupeneus multifasciatus, banded goatfish (talakave)
• Parupeneus bifasciatus, double-bar goatfish (talakave). A medium sized (35cm) goatfish, white to purple with orange spots on scales, black patch around the eyes and two dark saddles. They can change colour rapidly.
• Parupeneus barberinus, dash-dot goatfish (hafulu)
• Mulloidichthys vanicolensis, yellowfin goatfish (hafulu). Schooling.
• Mulloidichthys auriflamma, gold-lined goatfish
• Mulloides flavolineatus, yellow stripe goatfish (kaloama motua - kaloama). Silvery white with light yellow stripes and black spot on side under back fin, which can fade rapidly. This fish reproduces so well in Niue that between December and March the sheltered side of the island dense schools of juveniles can be found in shallow water and rock pools.
• Pempherididae - bullseyes: rounded head, straight backs and rounded bellies, very sideways compressed. Large eyes above oblique mouth. Mostly nocturnal. bigeye
• Monodactylidae - silver batfishes: silvery fishes with deep bodies and small deciduous scales.
• Scorpididae - sweeps: highly compressed oval bodies, silvery blue with reduced fin spines. Rear fins are slightly elongated and tailfin is forked. Blue maomao, sweep,
• Kyphosidae - drummers: same shape as sweep but larger. Teeth fused in a single row. drummer, parore, bluefish,
• Kyphosus vaigiensis, brassy drummer. Small school.
• Kyphosus cinerascens, topsail drummer (nue). Like brassy drummer but with high second dorsal fin.
• Girellidae - blackfishes: resemble drummers but bodies more compressed.
• Microcanthidae - stripeys and mado: oblong compressed bodies with strong spines in dorsal, anal and ventral fins. Teeth are close-set and brush-like. Mado.
• Pentacerotidae - Boarfishes: head large and encased in bony plates, concave as a pig's head. Body deep elongate, very compressed and tall vertical fins. long-finned boarfish, giant boarfish, striped boarfish,
• Ephippidae - batfishes:bodies disc shaped with tall fins. Juveniles have extremely tall fins above and below the body, resembling leaves rather than fish.
• Scatophagidae - scats:
• Chaetodontidae - butterfly fishes: very deep compressed bodies and pointed snouts. Teeth typically brush-like, slendear and close-set with recurving tips. Fin spines large and solid. Most species very colourful.
• Chaetodon punctatofasciatus, spot-banded butterflyfish
• Chaetodon pelewensis, dot & dash butterflyfish. Small 12cm fish with yellow body and diagonal lines of dots that become bands on upper body. Orange tail stock. Black spot on nape.
• Chaetodon unimaculatus, one-spot or tear-drop butterflyfish (tifitifi tua ila - tifitifi)
• Chaetodon flavirostris, black yellowsnouted butterflyfish. Dark with yellow rim around rear edge. Yellow snout. Large adults (to20cm) develop hump on forehead. Usually in pairs.
• Chaetodon quadrimaculatus, fourspot butterflyfish. Yellow-orange body, darkening to black above. Two white spots on back. Small 16cm and usually in pairs, feeding on Pocillopora corals.
• Forcipiger flavissimus, long-nose butterflyfish
• Forcipiger longirostris, very-longnose butterflyfish
• Heniochus chrysostomus, pennant bannerfish
• Pomacanthidae - angelfishes: body more elongate than butterflyfishes but also colourful. Prominent spine on lower corner of operculum.
• Pomacanthus imperator, emperor angelfish. Striking pattern of blue, black and yellow with dark eye band. Their young look entirely different: blue bodies with white lines and rings. Makes a loud drumming sound when alarmed.
• Pomacentridae - damselfishes, humbugs anemonefishes & scalyfins: deep rounded compressed bodies with rounded rear fins and forked tails. Small mouths. demoiselle, sea swallow, anemone fish, sergeant-major,
• Abudefduf vaigiensis, sergeant major (papaao moana - papaao)
• Abudefduf sordidus, blackspot sergeant-major fish. (papaao moana - papaao). Greyish with 5-6 darker bands and small black saddle on tail stock. Small 19cm, lives in shallow water and rock pools. Mature form?,
• Abudefduf septemfasciatus, seven-banded sergant-major. (papaao moana - papaao)
• Chrysiptera taupou, south seas devil. A most spectacular metallic blue-yellow rockpool demoiselle
• Dascyllus reticulatus: Indian blue-lipped humbug. Pale brown body and darker head with black lined scaled, dark fins and blue lips & ventral fin. Often found in pairs. Territorial.
• Unidentified pomacentrids: scalyfin1,
• Aplodactylidae - marblefishes, sea carps: Elongate tapering body, dull coloured without swim bladder. Deeply notched backfin. marblefish, notch-head marblefish
• Chironemidae - kelpfishes: closely related to hawkfishes. Tapering body with invisible smalle scales and no swimbladder. Breastfin with separate fin rays for holding on to things. Front belly rubbery. hiwihiwi kelpfish
• Cirrhitidae - hawkfishes:
• Cirrhitus pinnulatus, marbled hawk fish, sturdy hawkfish (ulutuki piu - ulutuki). One of the larger hawkfishes (28cm). Blotchy brown with white spots. Solitary in shallow water.
• Cirrhitus fasciatus, hawkfish (ulutuki legalega - ulutuki)
• Paracirrhites arcatus, ring-eyed hawkfish (manini ulutuki manini - lulutuki). Small red fish, resembling a small grouper. Long white stripe over lateral line from halfway to tail. Yellow-ringed pupil and oval yellow/blue ring behind eye. Hides in Acropora corals.
• Paracirrhites fosteri, freckled hawkfish (ulutuki ago - ulutuki)
• Ephippidae - old wifes: long pelvic fins like boarfish, and long anal fins. Backfin split with some long fin rays. Small breastfins.
• Cheilodactylidae - morwongs: thick, rubbery lips. Body like boarfish with some long backfin rays. Breastfin may have elongated rays. Tailfin forked. Distinct coloration. porae, tarakihi, red moki, painted moki, magpie morwong, red morwong
• Latrididae - trumpeters: similar to morwongs but more streamlined, with thick lips, deeply notched back fin and small rounded breastfins. Head concave as in boarfishes. Small scales.blue moki, copper moki, common trumpeter, telescope fish,
• Opisthognatidae - jawfishes: goby-like fishes with large jaws inhabiting sand burrows
• Mugilidae - mullets: grey mullet, yellow-eyed mullet
• Mugil cephalus, ocean mullet (fuafua, kanahe). Prefers shallow sheltered waters in lagoons.
• Liza vaigiensis, diamond-scale mullet (kanahe).
• Valamugil engeli, engel's mullet, dwarf mullet (fuafua, kanahe). Schooling in shallow protected areas of sand, algae and mud in lagoons and around shallow reef flats.
• Crenimugil crenilabis, fringelip mullet (fuafua, kanahe). Silver with narrow grey horizontal stripes, black spot at upper breastfin base, dusky rear margin of tail fin.
• Polynemidae - threadfins: elongate silver with fin arrangement as mullets but threads hanging from breastfin base.
• Polydactilus sexfilis, sixfeeler threadfin (ikata - ika). Slender like mullet, with 6 threads at breastfin base.
• Polydactylus plebius, northern threadfin, striped salmon (ikatea - ika). Thicker than mullet, with thin yellow stripes and five threads from base of each breastfin.
• Labridae - wrasses: sideways compressed, elongate fish swimming with breast fins. Many species, mostly invertebrate eaters.
• Novaculichthys taeniourus, rockmover wrasse. Rotten leaf-shaped, swims like a falling leaf.
• Halichoeres margaritaceus, weedy surge wrasse. Body in shades of green with red scale spots forming blotches. Pink diagonal band and radial bands on cheek. Lives in shallow water, small to 13cm.
• Halichoeres hortulanus., checkerboard wrasse (meai paku kope - meai). Highly varied in colour throughout its life cycle. Blueish white to green with blue bar on each coarse scale. Head green with pink bands. Dorsal fin with three yellow and one black patch. Tail yellowish to checkered blue. Juveniles banded with 3 black and 2 white bands. Small to 20cm.
• Gomphosus varius, bird wrasse (meaigutu loa - meai)
• Pseudocheilinus octotaenia, eight-lined wrasse, eightstripe wrasse (nikiniki)
• Thalassoma quinquevittatum, five-striped surge wrasse (meai)
• Thalassoma sp., grey wrasse (meai tea - meai)
• Thalassoma sp., saddleback wrasse (ulukupu). Thalassoma lutescens, sunset wrasse?
• Labroides sp., cleaner wrasse (meai moana - meai)
• Scaridae - parrotfishes: swimming with breast fins, like wrasses but eating coral with parrot beaks. Many species.
• Scarus forsteni, Forsten's parrotfish
• Scarus rubroviolaceus, red-lip parrotfish. Large to 70cm. Variable in colour through its life cycle with darker band on upper lip and double bands on chin. Lunate tail with stripes. Closeup.
• Scarus ghobban, blue-barred parrotfish, five-banded parrotfish (paholo)
• Calotomis carolinus, star-eyed parrotfish. Blue-green with black spots and orange-pink bands radiating from eye. Large to 50cm. The photo shows this fish sleeping.
• Unidentified parrotfishes: parrot1, parrot2, parrot3,
• Odacidae - butter fishes, cales & weed whitings: elongate to very elongate bodies like wrasses with soft long fins. Mostly plant eaters. butterfish,
• Bovichthyidae - thornfishes: slender with large close-set dorsally placed eyes and two backfins. First is spinous and short based, the second soft and long based. thornfish
• Nototheniidae - icefishes, Antarctic cods: Maori chief, black cod, small-scaled notothenid
• Trichonotidae - sand divers:
• Uranoscopidae - armoured stargazers: a tapering body and large head with mouth placed above and close to two small stalked eyes. First spine of back fin can be poisonous. Stargazers burrow into the sand leaving only their eyes exposed. Prey is caught by a sudden upward thrust and strong suction. giant stargazer, spotted stargazer, brown stargazer,
• Leptoscopidae - stargazers: estuarine stargazer, sand stargazer
• Pinguipedidae- grubfishes, weevers, sandperches: slender tapering bodies without swimbladders. Front of dorsal fin short with few hard spines. Eyes high and bulging. Mouth low placed and large. Most are predators. blue cod, redbanded weever
• Creediidae - sand divers: sand diver, long-finned sand diver
• Pholidichthyidae - convict blennies:
• Trypterygiidae - triplefins:
• Clinidae - weedfishes: crested weedfish, orange clinid
• Blenniidae - blennies: slime fishes without scales, with one long back fin and no swimbladder.
• Istiblennius edentulus, rippled rockskipper (lakua hopokiu - lakua). Small 17cm slimefish with about 6 paired unaligned bars. Unbranched cirri above eye. Male has skin flap resembling a first dorsal fin. These fish live at the sea's surface in shallow pools and skip their way over the rock face, also able to skip on water. They do so by folding their bodies in a V shape, and skipping sideways.  photo1.
• unidentified blennies: blenny1,
• Eleotrididae - sleepers, bullies: Grahams gudgeon, Cran's bully, upland bully, common bully, blue gilled bully, redfin bully
• Callionymidae - dragonets: elongate tapering bodies without scales or swimbladder, and very showy. Eyes placed high on head and mouth is small but greatly extendable down and outward. Large showy fins.
• Gobiidae - gobies: elongate small fishes with two backfins and no swim bladder, often living in sand burrows. Ventral fins joined into a single cup-shaped fin.
• Nemateleotris magnifica, red fire goby. Living paired together is a sandy hole and hovering nearby. White front with long first dorsal fin, orange rear half.
• Microdesmidae - dart gobies: long tubular and slender and small head. Often occurring in large schools above reefs when feeding, yet lacking a swimbladder.
• Tripterygiidae - threefins, triplefins: usually small to very small fishes with three dorsal fins, the first of which is hard spined. Long anal fins. No swimbladders. Usually feeding on small invertebrates.
• Clinidae - weedfishes & snake blennies: well camouflaged and highly variable in shape and colour, looking like the weeds they live on and in between. Many live upside down.
• Siganidae - rabbitfishes: looking and behaving much like surgeonfishes, but not having a spike on their tail stocks.
• Zanclidae - moorish idol: have long wimple like backfin filament on flat round bodies. Pig like snout and concave head. Jaws have long bristle-like teeth covered by fleshy lips.
• Zanclus cornutus, moorish idol. A spectacular black-white-yellow baded fish with a dark band over its eyes and a long banner as first dorsal fin. Has a narrow snout. Small group.
• Acanthuridae - surgeonfishes & unicornfishes: plant eaters of the reef. Sideways compressed with a sharp spike on their tail stocks. Many species, many colours. Surgeonfishes are also called tangs after their sharp tang (=spine) on their tails. Also includes sailfin tangs, unicornfishes and bristletooths.
• Acanthurus achilles, Achilles tang (humu kolala - humu, kolala).
• Acanthurus dussumieri, eyestripe surgeonfish (humu tea - humu). Greyish-blueish body with fine blue horizontal patterns, yellow fins, blue tail with fine spots and yellow stripe through eye.
• Acanthurus nigricans, velvet surgeonfish. Dark blue-black with white tail and yellow detail lines.
• Acanthurus lineatus, lined or striped surgeonfish. One of the most spectacular fish of the reef. Horizontal yellow/blue/black liens, orange hip fins. Feeds on algal scum and defends a small territory.
• Acanthurus triostegus, convict tang. Perhaps the most common reef grazer. Often in large groups on shallow reefs. Small fish (to 25cm) with pale lemon colour and 6 narrow black bands as on a convict's uniform.
• Acanthurus nigrofuscus?, brown tang.
• Acanthurus guttatus, white spotted surf tang (hapi). A medium sized (to 30cm) fish with brown/grey colour and vertical white/grey bands. Numerous round spots on rear of boedy. Tail white/black banded by night or yellow/black by day. Yellow bellyfins. Usually occurs in large groups but sleeps alone. Schooling, sleeping,
• Acathurus xanthopterus, yellowfin surgeonfish (meito)
• Ctenochaetus striatus, fine-lined bristletooth. Olive green with fine horizontal lines.
• Zebrasoma veliferum, Pacific sailfin tang (meito ago - meito). Long sail fins (veils). Bodywith 6 alternating dark/light bands, beautifully patterned. Tail white to yellowish to brown without spots. Purple tail stock.
• Naso caesius, grey unicornfish. Grey to brownish grey, able to change colour and patches on body. No horn and no dark margin on gill cover. large, to 60cm.
• Naso hexacanthus, blue-spine unicornfish. A large (to 70cm) elongate surgeonfish whose unicorn is not very visible. Males change colour to white blue at will. Lives along drop-offs, feeding on plankton. Blue tail.
• Naso unicornis, longsnouted unicornfish, bluespine unicornfish (humu tea).
• Naso lituratus, orange spine unicornfish, smooth-headed unicornfish (humu kai niu - humu). Large (to 30cm) brownish grey body with yellow nape, orange tail spines and anal fin. Black band over back with black/grey back fin. Yellow fringe on tail. Yellow/black pattern around eyes and snout.
• Unidentified surgeonfishes: tang1, tang2, tang3,
• Gemphylidae - snake mackerels: barracouta, black barracouta, gemfish, oilfish
• Trichiuridae - cutlass fishes: frostfish
• Sphyraenidae - barracudas: pike barracuda, snook
• Sphyraena forsteri, Forster's sea pike (koho).
• Sphyraena genie, darkfinned baracuda (utu).
• Sphyraena barracuda, great barracuda (utu, kokuo, koho utu - koto, kuokuo).
• Prometichthys prometheus, snake mackerel (kalapipi, matimati)
• Scombridae - tunas and mackerels: blue mackerel, skipjack tuna, albacore tuna, yellowfin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, frigate tuna, slender tuna, Australian bonito, butterfly tuna
• Katsuwonus pelamis, skipjack tuna (takua).
• Thunnus albacares, yellowfin tuna (vahakula).
• Thunnus alalunga, albacore (vahaleleva - vaha)
• Thunnus obesus, big-eyed tuna (hakua)
• Acanthosybium solandri, wahoo (paala).
• Gymnosarda unicolor, dogtooth tuna (valu).
• Luvaridae - louvars: louvar
• Xiphiidae - swordfishes: broadbill swordfish,
• Istiophoridae - billfishes: striped marlin, shortbill spearfish, blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish
• Istiophorus platypterus, sailfish (haku piu - haku),
• sword fish (haku la - haku), marlin (haku tagata -  haku)
• Centrolophidae - warehous: common warehou, silver warehou, white warehou, blue-nose warehou, rudderfish, ragfish
• Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes
• Bothidae - lefteyed flounders: a small family of unusual flounders with their eyes on their left sides. Brestfin used as rudder. Changes colour rapidly.
• Bothus mancus, peacock flounder (ali). Solitary on sandy bottoms or rocky surfaces. Grey to brown with blue spots and circles. Lower eye in front of upper eye. Eyes widely spaced, lower eye in front of upper eye. Changes colour. Can grow large to 80cm.
• Parlichthydae - large-tooth flounders: ventral fins short-based, clearly separate from long anal fin. Tailfin slightly pointed or rounded, radiating from a narrow base. Eyes on the left side wich is pigmented. Underside usually not pigmented.
• Pleuronectidae - right-eye flounders: both eyes on the pigmented right side and underside unpigmented. Eyes small and close together, directly above each other. Fins entirely soft-rayed and tailfin straight. yellow-belly flounder, sand flounder, greenback flounder, black flounder, brill, turbot, lemon sole, NZ sole, spotted flounder
• Soleidae - true soles: both eyes on the pigmented right side and left underside unpigmented. Head and eyes small and body shape oval almost without discontinuity between fins.
• Tetraodontiformes -
• Balistidae - triggerfishes: swimming with dorsal and anal fins. First dorsal spine lockable in upright position by second spine. Small breast fins, no hip fins.
• Ballistoides conspicillum, clown triggerfish. Dark to black with white circles on belly. Yellow lips and other markings.
• Ballistoides viridescens, giant triggerfish. The largest triggerfish on the reef, usually solitary and shy. Colours changeable from blue to yellow.
• Balistapus undulatus, orange-lined triggerfish (humu). A large (30cm) triggerfish, green with orange lines.
• Sufflamen bursa, boomerang triggerfish (humu). Greyish with dark tail and two yellow bands behind eye and white line on belly.
• Monacanthidae - filefishes: leatherjackets, swimming like triggerfishes. Also have one lockable dorsal spike.
• Pervagor pilosoma, filefish (humu kotoku - humu)
• Ostraciidae - boxfishes & cowfishes: Looking like pufferfishes but have rigid bodies.
• Tetraodontidae - pufferfishes: soft inflatable bodies with soft fins and a small beak-like mouth with fused teeth. Paddles with breast, back and anal fins. toados, pufferfishes, without spines.
• Canthigaster amboinensis, Ambon puffer (tete). Blue lines radiating from eye and blue-ringed white spots on body.
• Arothron nigropunctatus, black-spotted puffer (tete). A small common pufferfish with variable colours from brown to yellow and camel but always with small variable black spots. Photo2,
• Diodontidae - porcupine fishes: soft inflatable bodies with small spines all over. Large eyes and small gill opening which can serve jet propulsion when deflating. porcupine fish
• Diodon liturosus, masked porcupine fish, commando porcupine fish (toutu). Large (50cm) with small spines and variablee marking like a commando's military fatigues.
• Diodon hystrix, common porcupinefish. A large (to 71cm) pufferfish, white below and yellow to olive brown on top, often with black and yellow patches and numerous small spots. Many short movable spines. Mostly solitary in calm waters.
• Molidae - sunfishes: ocean sunfish
• Mola mola, ocean sunfish. Broad oval body with long dorsal and anal fins, with which it swims, and no tail but body flattens towards rear. Often swims near the surface.