NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Spotted Shag
Phalacrocorax punctatus (Sparrman, 1786)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The spotted shag or pārekareka (Phalacrocorax punctatus) is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Though originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that for a time it was placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with a similar species, the Pitt shag. Subsequent genetic studies show that the spotted shag's lineage is nested within the typical shags.
Wikipedia contributors, Spotted shag; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:55:26.013608+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Phalacrocorax punctatus (Sparrman, 1786)
- Name authority
- (Sparrman, 1786)
- Common name
- Spotted Shag
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Phalacrocorax
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderSuliformes
- familyPhalacrocoracidae Reichenbach, 1849
- genusPhalacrocorax Brisson, 1760
- speciesPhalacrocorax punctatus (Sparrman, 1786)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Phalacrocorax. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese CormorantPhalacrocorax capillatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Australian Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Socotra CormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularis Ogilvie-Grant & H. O. Forbes, 1899 | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Little Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris (J. F. Brandt, 1837) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pitt ShagPhalacrocorax featherstoni Buller, 1873 | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens (Vieillot, 1817) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Indian CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollis Stephens, 1826 | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bank CormorantPhalacrocorax neglectus (Wahlberg, 1855) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pelicanus punctatus Sparrman, 1786 Sparrman, 1786 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=174750 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4FQR2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.