Gorgonian Goby

The GORGONIAN GOBY grows to 2 inches long, and is normally seen on gorgonian sea whips.  

Since they're lacking in Hawaii, these fish can commonly be seen on manmade objects such as mooring lines, wire coral, and old tires discarded in the ocean.  

It's primarily orange in color and has a pointy snout.  

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Crowned Toby

The CROWNED TOBY (called pu'u olai) is a pufferfish with 3 dark saddles on the back.  

The Hawaiian name means "cinder cones" and it's believed the fish was named as such because the pattern on back looks like lava flow.  Yellow dots cover most of the body, and blue and yellow lines radiate from the eyes.  

They like depths 20 feet or more, so snorkelers rarely see this species.  They grow to be about 5 inches, tend to be in pairs, and are endemic to Hawaii. 

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White-Stripe Cleaner Shrimp

The WHITE-STRIPE CLEANER SHRIMP, of the family Hippolytidae, is the most active of the cleaner shrimp found in Hawaii. They're most common on the leeward sides of the islands, and are typically found at 40' or more.  

They're often seen cleaning eels, and will even clean a diver's fingernails if you're patient enough!  They've even been known to clean the teeth of divers, but we don't suggest taking your regulator out of your mouth that long!

They only grow to approximately 2.5" and are common in salt water aquariums because of their hardy nature and willingness to eat basically any food put in the tank. 

Crocodile Needlefish

The CROCODILE NEEDLEFISH (called 'aha) is a large needlefish with a stout beak and forked tail that can grow to more than 3 feet in length. 

It tends to hover directly below the surface, and it cleaned by the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse. 

When it becomes frightened, it's able to jump completely out of the water, and has been known to accidentally harm divers or fishermen with its sharp beak. 

Bearded Cusk Eel

The BEARDED CUSK EEL (called palahoana) looks like a cross between a catfish and an eel with its eel-like body and the white sensory barbels on its snout and chin.  

The anal and dorsal fins have a thin white border and are continuous with the tail fin, which comes to a point.  It's a nocturnal eel, rarely found swimming in the open.  When night divers shine a light on it, it immediately retreats to its hole or crevice. 

It can grow to be 24" long, but most are only approximately 12" long.  

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