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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Ornate Butterflyfish

The ORNATE BUTTERFLYFISH (called kikakapu) is a type of butterflyfish that's primarily cream colored with black bars on its face and orange lines running diagonally along the body, lined in black. 

They are almost always seen in pairs, and they live solely on live coral.  They will tolerate other fish in their territory except other ornate butterflyfish.

Despite eating live coral and coral mucus, they don't appear to be harming or destroying coral communities.  Because of their diet, they do not last in captivity, even in tanks with live coral - it's not enough to sustain them properly. 

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Rockmover Wrasse

The ROCKMOVER WRASSE (also called Dragon Wrasse because of its juvenile stage) is one of the most unusual fish in Hawaii.  

Juvenile fish have filamentous fins and sway and twist in the wind that resemble seaweed.  They're typically shades of brown with white marks on each scale. 

As they mature, they lose the fin filament and become dark brown with white marks on each tail.  Large adults are bottom dwellers, often overturning rocks searching for invertebrate pray. 

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