The HAWAIIAN FANTAIL FILEFISH (called o'ili 'uwi 'uwi) is a yellowish white fish covered in dark spots. The fanlike tail is bright orange with a black margin. Their mouth, throat and underside have blue markings, and their dorsal spine is bright yellow. These fish are normally seen in pairs, but they become territorial when other fish come close, and raise their dorsal fins and flutter their bright tail.
This species varies in abundance from year to year, and are most commonly found near the bottom feeding on algae and small invertebrates when abundance is low. During abundant years, they're often found in open water feeding on plankton, but their coloring becomes pale, and that has shown to be indicative that there will be a mass death imminent, where thousands wash up on shore. In ancient Hawaii, this was said to predict an upcoming death of a chief.
Their dried bodies were used for boat fuel, however fisherman hated these mass deaths because game fish hunt on the easy meal and become disinterested in the fishermen's bait. When removed from the water, these fish instantly make a small noise, hence the Hawaiian name, which translates to "squeal".
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