GOATFISH Size: Length up to 16 inches; weight gen- erally up to 3 pounds Goatfish are bottom-feeding carnivores, Habitat: Rocky areas, especially lava easily recognized by the pair of barbels rocks, from nearshore to about 150 feet under their jaws which are used to locate Feeding: Diurnal and nocturnal; small food. Tucked under the sides of the jaw fish, crustaceans when not in use, the barbels may not be Schooling: Solitary or small groups immediately apparent. Goatfish are com- Fishing methods: Handline, spear, trap, mon in inshore waters, and are among the net, pole and line most popular food fish in Hawaii. Moano Parupeneus multifasciatus Manybar goatfish Description: Reddish with shades of yel- low and white; black marks behind eye, at base of pectoral fin, and black saddle areas in front of first dorsal fin, between dorsal fins, below soft dorsal fin, and in Weke ‘ä, ‘oama front of tail; deepness of color varies with Mulloides flavolineatus Kümü light intensity, becoming lighter in bright White weke, yellowstripe goatfish Parupeneus porphyreus light. Whitesaddle goatfish Size: Length up to 14 inches; weight gen- Description: Silvery white; yellow band erally up to 1 pound extends from eye to tail when schooling; Description: Juveniles greenish with red Habitat: Rocky areas, sandy bottoms near band becomes less distinct when feeding, fins, body coloration becomes brick red coral heads and a black spot appears below first dor- with age; white saddle behind soft dorsal Feeding: Diurnal; crustaceans, small fish sal fin; very slender body compared with fin; dark stripe running through eye from most other goatfish. near snout to below first dorsal fin, darker Schooling: Solitary or small groups Size: Length up to 18 inches; weight gen- spot between eye and upper edge of gill Fishing methods: Handline, trap, spear, erally up to 2 pounds cover. pole and line Habitat: Sandy bottom areas near coral : Length up to 20 inches; weight gen- Size patches; shallow water (to about 100 feet) erally up to 5 pounds Feeding: Nocturnal and diurnal; crus- : Various depths throughout reef Habitat taceans, worms areas, especially under coral heads Schooling: Schools by day Feeding: Nocturnal; mostly crustaceans Fishing methods: ‘Oama (juveniles) : Small groups by day, solitary Schooling taken by pole and line; adults by net, trap, at night pole and line, spear Fishing methods: Spear, trap, net, hand- Seasonality: ‘Oama commonly found in line, pole and line Moano kea Parupeneus cyclostomus shallow sandy areas during late summer; Seasonality: Young kümü common on adult weke common year round inshore reefs throughout spring and sum- Moana kali, blue goatfish ‘Oama make excellent bait for papio and mer; adults common year round Description: Bluish-purple, with promi- other predators, and are highly sought by Kümü are extremely prized fish in Hawaii; shoreline fishermen. the flesh is considered a delicacy. nent yellow saddle at base of tail; slender body, long snout and long barbels. Endemic to Hawaii. Size: Length up to 2 feet; weight general- ly up to 5 pounds Habitat: Rocky or reef areas, from nearshore to depth of about 200 feet Feeding: Diurnal; small fish, crustaceans Schooling: Adults small groups; juveniles solitary Fishing methods: Handline, spear, trap, Malu net, pole and line Weke ‘ula, ‘oama Parupeneus pleurostigma Mulloides vanicolensis Sidespot goatfish Red weke, yellowfin goatfish Description: Body light, whitish to pink; Description: Light pink with yellow hues; black spot on side below rear of first dor- long yellow band extending from eye to sal fin, followed by large oval white area. base of tail; fish becomes reddish when Size: Length up to 16 inches; weight gen- dead; inner lining of abdomen is black. erally up to 2 pounds Size: Length up to 16 inches; weight gen- Habitat: Sandy patches adjacent to coral, Munu erally up to 2 pounds from nearshore to depths of about 120 Parupeneus bifasciatus Habitat: Reef areas, generally in depths feet Doublebar goatfish, Joe Louis from 20-200 feet Feeding: Diurnal; small worms, crus- Feeding: Nocturnal; small worms and taceans Description: Reddish to yellowish-gray; crustaceans Schooling: Adults solitary; juveniles small black triangular saddle under each dorsal Schooling: Large schools during the day; groups fin and near tail. solitary or small groups at night when Fishing methods: Handline, spear, trap, feeding net 65 Fishing methods: Mostly net and trap SURGEONFISH Schooling: Solitary Seasonality: Juveniles, known as ‘oama, Fishing methods: Spear common offshore in late summer; adults Surgeonfish (tangs) have blade-like spines common year round on either side of the base of the tail, which are sometimes used defensively by the fish. (Fishermen have suffered cuts on their account, so surgeonfish should always be handled with care.) Surgeon- fish are very common in inshore waters, feeding primarily by day, and at night rest- ing on the bottom in a sleep-like state. Because they are mostly plant eaters, having small mouths and specialized Weke nono teeth, most surgeonfish are difficult to Manini Mulloides pflugeri catch with hook and line. Acanthurus triostegus sandvicensis Weke ‘ula, moelua, Pfluger's goatfish Convict tang Description: Red with vertical orange- Description: Silvery, may have yellowish yellow bands when alive; color changes to tinge; six black vertical bars, the first pass- uniform red when dead; inner lining of ing through the eye and the last near the abdominal cavity white; fairly robust com- base of the tail; single small retractable pared with most other goatfish. caudal spine on each side. Size: Length up to 24 inches; weight gen- Size: Length up to 12 inches; weight gen- 3 erally up to 8 pounds erally up to ⁄4 pound Kala Habitat: Sand patches and limestone bot- Habitat: Most reef areas, from shore to Naso unicornis toms, usually 60-300 feet depths of about 90 feet Bluespine unicornfish Feeding: Diurnal; small fish and crus- Feeding: Diurnal; mostly fine algae taceans Schooling: Large schools, but also seen Description: Dusky olive, with light blue singly or in small schools Schooling: Small groups or large schools on the fins and around the caudal spines; Fishing methods: Handline, trap, spear horn protruding from front of head about Fishing methods: Net, spear eye level (lengthens with age). A similar Manini are the most abundant surgeonfish species, Naso brevirostris, is grayish in Hawaii. green with numerous small spots or dark Endemic to Hawaii. lines on the sides, and a body that is less deep. Kala have two fixed caudal spines on each side. Size: Length up to 2 feet; weight general- ly up to 8 pounds Weke pueo Habitat: Inshore reef areas and along rocky shores Upeneus spp. Nightmare weke, bandtail goatfish Feeding: Diurnal; algae, especially more leafy varieties ‘Opelu kala Schooling: Schools; large adults some- Naso hexacanthus Description: Light greenish above, fading Sleek unicornfish to white below; black and white horizontal times found singly at edge of reef stripes on tail. Fishing methods: Net, spear, pole and line Description: Color varies from dark Size: Length up to 12 inches brown to pale blue, with a dark blue tail Habitat: Shallow sandy or muddy bottoms fin; two fixed caudal spines on each side. Feeding: Diurnal; crustaceans and small Size: Length up to 2 feet; weight general- fish ly up to 3 pounds Schooling: Small groups Habitat: Deeper waters outside reef; not Fishing methods: Pole and line, net, common in waters less than 30 to 50 feet spear Feeding: Diurnal; plankton, including crab Weke pueo should be prepared and eaten larvae and small worms with care, since the head may cause hallu- Schooling: Large schools cinations and other symptoms of poisoning Fishing methods: Spear, net, pole and if consumed. Kole Ctenochaetus strigosus line Goldring surgeonfish Description: Dark brown with about 35 light blue horizontal lines extending into the fins, small blue spots on the head, bright yellow ring around the eye; single retractable caudal spine on each side. Size: Length up to 7 inches; weight gen- 1 erally up to ⁄2 pound Habitat: Inshore reef areas, and depths of 150 feet or more Feeding: Diurnal, small bits of algae and decaying plant material 66 WRASSES Wrasses make up the largest family of fishes in Hawaii. Nearly 50 species are known to exist here, but only a few are popular with fishermen. Males and females of the same species frequently have different colorations, and wrasses are known to undergo sex conversions Laenihi from female to male. Coloration changes Palani Xyrichtys umbrilatus as the fish gets older. Acanthurus dussumieri Blackside razorfish, nabeta Eyestripe surgeonfish Description: Blue-green or grayish body Description: Yellowish brown with black with faint vertical crossbands, one dark spots, bright blue tail fin, fine blue lines on scale on either side below front of dorsal body fading towards belly, yellow dorsal fin, yellow stripe on anal fin. and anal fins, yellow band between and Size: Length up to 15 inches; weight gen- behind the eyes; single white retractable erally up to 2 pounds caudal spine on each side, surrounded by ‘A‘awa Habitat: Sandy areas at depths of 60 to a patch of black. Bodianus bilunulatus 300 feet, generally within a few hundred Size: Length up to 18 inches or more; Hawaiian hogfish, table boss yards of the shoreline weight generally up to 3 pounds Feeding: Diurnal; crustaceans Habitat: Mostly bays and outer reef areas Description: Juveniles (up to 4 inches) Schooling: Solitary over sandy patches, usually at depths of whitish with reddish brown horizontal lines at least 10 feet Fishing methods: Handline and large black spot between soft dorsal Considered an excellent food fish. Feeding: Diurnal; algae and decaying and anal fins; as fish grows older spot dis- plant material appears and black saddle forms at rear of Endemic to Hawaii. Schooling: Schools dorsal fin; females white with brown hori- Fishing methods: Spear, trap zontal lines in front, shading to yellow near tail; males wine-colored or purplish brown, and black saddle is faint or absent.