Species

Plants and animals of Tetiaroa and French Polynesia.

150 results· 1–24

Tamanu seed oil has many uses

Alexandrian laurel

Calophyllum inophyllum

Ati (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands), Tamanu (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands), Temanu (Marquesas Islands)

Aruru travel in schools near the bottom.

Barred trevally

Ferdauia ferdau

Aruru

Suriana maritima flower on Onetahi

Bay cedar

Suriana maritima

'O'uru

These little white flowers of Tafano are used to make traditional hei.

Beach gardenia

Guettarda speciosa

Tafano (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Austral Islands), Kahaia (Tuamotu Islands), Hano (Marquesas Islands)

heliotrope flowering

Beach heliotrope

Heliotropium foertherianum

Tahinu (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands), Tohonu (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Austral Islands), Geogeo (Tuamotu Islands)

The plant of many uses

Beach hibiscus

Talipariti tiliaceum

Purau (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands), Fau (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands), Hau (Society Islands, Austral Islands)

Bird’s nest fern, ‘ō‘aha

Bird’s-nest fern

Asplenium nidus

'ō'aha (Society Islands)

Black Noddy on the tree

Black noddy

Anous minutus

’Oio (Society Islands); Kikiriri (Tuamotu Islands)

The sea cucumber is present in lagoons on sandy floors.

Black sea cucumber

Holothuria atra

Rori

This fish eats small fish and shrimp that it ambushes.

Blackblotch lizardfish

Synodus jaculum

Mo'o'anae

This species prefers shallow coastal waters and frequently exposes its first dorsal fin in these areas.

Blacktip reef shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Ma’o Mauri

Blainville's beaked whale at the surface

Blainville’s beaked whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Tohora

School of blotch-eye soldierfish

Blotch-eye soldierfish

Myripristis murdjan

I’ihi

This damselfish eats plankton and eats phytoplankton and zooplankton and is able to choose between its miniscule prey.

Blue-green chromis

Chromis viridis

'Atoti

Blue Jack fish

Bluefin trevally

Caranx melampygus

Pā'aihere

Adults have a truncated tail with two filaments at the ends.

Bluespine unicornfish

Naso unicornis

Ume

This specie of cleaner wrasse is the most common in French Polynesia.

Bluestreak cleaner wrasse

Labroides dimidiatus

Po'ou

They eat benthic invertebrates, molluscs, and small crustaceans.

Bonefish

Albula glossodonta

'io'io

Breadfruit

Breadfruit

Artocarpus altilis

'Uru (Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Austral Islands), Mei (Gambier Islands, Marquesas Islands)

Bristle-thighed curlew

Bristle-thighed curlew

Numenius tahitiensis

Te’ue, ‘Ivi

Brown booby

Brown booby

Sula leucogaster

A’o

Brown Noddy adult

Brown noddy

Anous stolidus

‘Oio

This perch defends its territory with vigor and does not hesitate to engage an intruder.

Brown-spotted sandperch

Parapercis millepunctata

Mo'o

Terminal phase (male) red variant

Bullethead parrotfish

Chlorurus spilurus

Pa'ati pa'a pa'a auahi

The guide includes species from Tetiaroa and elsewhere in French Polynesia. Local occurrence is noted where documented.

Stories from the field

Keep exploring

Cladium | Uti uti | Sawgrass

Cladium | Uti uti | Sawgrass

Cladium | Uti uti | Sawgrass

Bristle-thighed curlews

Bristle-thighed curlews

Bristle-thighed curlews

Black-tip reef sharks

Black-tip reef sharks

Black-tip reef sharks

Coral Reefs: Ecosystem of the Decade

Coral Reefs: Ecosystem of the Decade

Coral Reefs: Ecosystem of the Decade

Sooty terns

Sooty terns

Sooty terns

Pisonia grandis

Pisonia grandis

Pisonia grandis