French Polynesia
Birds
found only in
French Polynesia include the Ultramarine Lorikeet (ARKive),
Marquesan Imperial Pigeon (Manu),
the Polynesian Imperial-pigeon (BirdLife
Int'l), the Rapa Fruit Dove (50
Rarest Birds), the Gray-green Fruit Dove (oiseaux.net),
the Makatea Fruit Dove (BirdLife
Int'l), the Polynesian
Ground Dove (ARKive),
the
Tuamotu Sandpiper (IBC),
the Tuamotu Kingfisher (BirdLife
Int'l), the Tahiti Swiftlet (ARKive), the Tahitian Monarch (ARKive),
the Iphis Monarch (ARKive),
the Fatuhiva Monarch (BirdLife
Int'l), and
the Tahiti Reed Warbler (ARKive).
Marine fish unique to French Polynesia include the Marquesan Parrotfish
Scarus koputea
(eol),
the Yellow-belly Damsel Plectroglyphidodon
flaviventris (eol),
a puffer Canthigaster
rapaensis (eol),
the Rapa Triplefin Enneapterygius
randalli
(eol),
a cardinalfish Apogon
lativittatus (eol),
a dartfish Parioglossus
galzini (Zootaxa
pdf file),
a dragonet Callionymus
marquesensis (eol), the
gobies Priolepis ailina
(CalPhotos)
and Vanderhorstia
steelei (eol), and two wrasse Pseudolabrus torotai
(FishBase)
and Coris marquesensis
(eol).
Endemic freshwater gobies include Stiphodon julieni (BFPP
pdf file), Stiphodon
oatea (MNHN
pdf file),
and Sicyopterus rapa
(p. 34 of Bishop
Museum pdf file).
Invertebrates known solely from French Polynesia include a butterfly Nacaduba (or Hypojamides) catochloris (Kyushu
Univ. pdf file), a leafroller moth Dichelopa anthrocodelta
(Tortricid.net),
a damselfly Ischnura
thelmae
(p. 35 of Bishop
Museum pdf file), a cicada Raiateana oulietea (tahitiphilatelie.pf),
a weevil Rhyncogonus
longulus (p. 36 of Bishop
Museum pdf file), a spider Tetragnatha
marquesiana (p. 20 of UC
Berkeley 3 MB pdf file), and a freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium feunteuni
(decapoda.free.fr).
More than 160 endemic
landsnails include Samoana
attenuata (ARKive),
Partula suturalis
(ARKive),
Partula taeniata
(ARKive),
and Partula nodosa
(Woodland
Park Zoo). Endemic marine invertebrates include the
Red-spotted Mitten Lobster Parribacus
holthuisi (Central
Pacific Crustacea), a deep-water
hermit crab Paragiopagurus
fasciatus (Central
Pacific Crustacea), the cone shells Conus marchionatus (jaxshells.org)
and Milariconus
encaustus (Eddie
Hardy),
the cowries Cribrarula
astaryi (Eddie
Hardy) and Erosaria
thomasi (Eddie
Hardy),
a murex Chicoreus
thomasi (Eddie
Hardy),
and Nassarius candens
(Femorale).
The 520 endemic vascular plant species (Herbier
de la Polynésie française or HPF pdf
file) includes such endemic genera as Pelagodoxa (ARKive),
Apetahia
(Flora
of the Marquesas), Lebronnecia
(Flora
of the Marquesas), Haroldiella
(Google
Books), Plakothira
(HPF),
Pacifigeron
(Biodiversity
Heritage Library), Metatrophis
(Google
Books), and Oparanthus
(Flora
of the Marquesas). Orchids restricted to French
Polynesia include Bulbophyllum
tahitense (HPF),
Dendrobium
crispatum (Tiaredex),
Moerenhoutia
plantaginea (HPF),
Taeniophyllum
elegantissimum
(HPF),
and Oberonia tahitensis
(Moorea
Digital Flora Project). Other endemic plants include a palm Pritchardia pericularum
(Tahiti
Heritage), Ixora
brevipedunculata (HPF),
Serianthes rurutensis
(ARKive),
Macaranga
raivavaeensis (HPF),
Nicotiana
fatuhivensis (Flora
of the Marquesas), Acalypha
raivavensis (ARKive),
Lepinia taitensis
(ARKive),
and Cyrtandra
nukuhivensis (Flora
of the Marquesas).
French
Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France,
part of the Polynesia-Micronesia
biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots) and includes the following terrestrial ecoregions:
the Marquesas Tropical Moist Forests (EoE),
the Society Islands Tropical Moist
Forests (EoE),
and the Tubuai Tropical Moist
Forests (EoE). Checklists of
endemic plant species can be generated at
the Herbier de la Polynésie
française website (HPF).