Hawaiian Fantail Filefish

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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Stocky Hawkfish

The STOCKY HAWKFISH (called po'opa'a) is typically found in shallow water perched atop exposed rocky areas or coral.  It will wedge its pectoral fins into cracks in order to stabilize itself during strong currents.  Its body is mottled blues, greens, and reds and has large white blotches along its sides.  The Hawaiian species tend to have more colorful head markings than species in other parts of the world.   

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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.