List of animals of the Marquesas Islands

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The Marquesas Islands have a diverse aquatic zoology, and a rather limited endemic terrestrial zoology.

Contents

Ocean fauna

Unlike most of the warm-water islands of the South Pacific, the Marquesas are not protected by coral reefs, and therefore do not have the wide array of reef denizens found in neighboring archipelagos such as the Tuamotus and Society Islands. The one exception to this is the island of Motu One in the extreme north of the group, which is a small atoll, and the only low island in the Marquesas.

Aside from Motu One, coral growths are found in several protected bays, especially on the northern and western sides of several of the islands, especially on Nuku Hiva.

Sharks are common in the offshore waters.

Seabirds

Nineteen species of seabirds breed in the Marquesas, and a number of other species visit the islands, including:

The uncommon Tahiti petrel breeds in the Marquesas Islands Tahitipetrel.jpg
The uncommon Tahiti petrel breeds in the Marquesas Islands

Land fauna

This should be considered in two separate groups – endemic species and introduced species – as follows:

Endemic species

The endemic fauna of the Marquesas has been extensively affected by human activity as well as by the introduction of domestic and pest species. Owing to their remoteness from continental landmasses (while they are not the most isolated islands in the world, they are the most distant from any continent), the Marquesas exhibit a paucity of endemic terrestrial species. This is limited to birds, arthropods (including 16 species of fruit fly, moths, butterflies, arachnids, etc.).

Adult Marquesan imperial pigeon on Nuku Hiva Ducula galeata Nuku Hiva.jpg
Adult Marquesan imperial pigeon on Nuku Hiva

Among the 11 resident terrestrial bird species, the endemics are:

The negative impact of introduced species on the endemic avifauna is seen through the extinction of the red-moustached fruit dove (Ptilinopus mercierii), as well as in the drastic decline of such species as D. galeata, of which only a few hundred specimens remain on Nuku Hiva, and several dozen specimens reintroduced to Ua Huka. Once common throughout the archipelago, the ultramarine lory is now found only on Ua Huka, and as a result of a reintroduction effort, is again found on Fatu Hiva. Various other species which are either threatened or endangered endemic are the Marquesas ground-dove, Marquesas kingfisher, Fatu Hiva monarch (Pomarea whitneyi), Iphis monarch (Pomarea iphis, found only on Ua Huka), and Marquesas monarch (Pomarea mendozae). Extinct rails belonging to Gallirallus including the Tahuata rail, Ua Huka rail, Nuku Hiva rail and an indeterminate species from Hiva Oa are known from archaeological sites. [2]

Among the endemic insects, the adaptive radiation of the gelechioid moth genus Asymphorodes is remarkable, with most of its 80 or so species known only from the Marquesas. Other Marquesan endemic moths include the strange Clarkeophlebia argentea , the enigmatic Marasmianympha eupselias , and Tessema sensilis which is apparently quite common but almost completely unstudied. Another unique endemic insect is the islands' sole praying mantis species, Tropidomantis kawaharai , which is a member of a genus found largely in Asia, about tens of thousands of miles away.

Introduced species

The early seafaring Polynesians brought dogs, junglefowl, and pigs with them to the islands, and, as stowaways, the now-widespread Polynesian rat and several species of geckos, skinks and snails.

Later, Europeans introduced other species. In 1842, Admiral Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars brought horses to the island from Chile. Other Europeans brought goats, sheep, and cattle, and, as stowaways, several insect species, (including mosquitos, and sandflies on Fatu Hiva), and scorpions. The common myna and great horned owl have been intentionally introduced onto Hiva Oa. The black rat (Rattus rattus) has been introduced to all the islands; in some cases this has had a drastic negative impact on populations of native bird species.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquesas Islands</span> Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Marquesas Islands are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Their highest point is the peak of Mount Oave on Ua Pou island, at 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level.

Marquesan is a collection of East-Central Polynesian dialects, of the Marquesic group, spoken in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. They are usually classified into two groups, North Marquesan and South Marquesan, roughly along geographic lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohotani</span> Island in French Polynesia

Mohotani is an uninhabited island southeast of Hiva Oa and east of Tahuata in the southern Marquesas Islands. It has an area of 15 km2. Much of the island's sparse vegetation has been destroyed by feral goats and sheep, to the extent that following its rare rains, the sea around it is stained red from runoff. Early reports describes the island as fertile, with forest and fields. When Thor Heyerdahl visited the island in 1938, there were only a few goats and remains of deserted huts and villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatutu</span> Island in French Polynesia

Hatutu is a small island approximately 3 km (2 mi.) northeast of Eiao in the northern Marquesas Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ua Huka</span> Island in French Polynesia

Ua Huka is one of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated in the northern group of the archipelago, approximately 25 mi (40 km) to the east of Nuku Hiva, at 8°54′S139°33′W.

<i>Pomarea</i> Genus of birds

Pomarea is a genus of birds in the monarch flycatcher family Monarchidae. The genus is restricted to the islands of Polynesia. The monarchs of this genus are around 15–19 cm long and most have sexually dimorphic plumage.

The Iphis monarch, or Ua Huka flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and plantations.

The Marquesan monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Libythea collenettei, the Marquesan snout butterfly, is a species of Nymphalid butterfly in the subfamily Libytheinae. The species was first described by Edward Bagnall Poulton and Norman Denbigh Riley in 1923. The specific name honours its original collector, Cyril Leslie Collenette, a member of the 1925 St George Expedition to French Polynesia. It is endemic to French Polynesia, L. collenettei is the only species of butterfly endemic to the Marquesas Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquesas tropical moist forests</span>

The Marquesas tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.

References

  1. ↑ "Marquesas Islands Overview". Adventure Life Cruises. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. ↑ Kirchman, Jeremy J. & Steadman, David. (2007). "New species of extinct rails (Aves: Rallidae) from archaeological sites in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia". Pacific Science. 61 (1): 145–163. doi:10.1353/psc.2007.0008. hdl: 10125/22605 . S2CID   86793953. Archived from the original on 2014-06-11.(subscription required)
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