Fishes of Hawai'i
Family Balistidae - triggerfish & filefish
Cantherhines spp. - Filefish - `Ö`ili
 |
| Description: lacks ventral spine,
gray-brown-yellowish; shy filefish - plain, light colored (C. verecundus);
barred filefish - grayish brown with indistinct brown vertical bars on body (C.
dumerili) |
| Size: to 38 cm |
| Habitat: can be found in pairs, some species
endemic to Hawaii |
| Diet: equipped with powerful jaws and sharp
teeth they can often be heard crunching coral and assorted invertebrates |
| C. verecundus |
 |
|
| C. dumerilii |
 |
|
| Melichthys niger - Black durgon -
Humuhumu `Ele`ele |
|
| Description: torpedo shaped body with dorsal and anal fin
at the caudal area; greenish-blue body with black longitudinal lines but can look all
black; base of dorsal & anal fins have white or bluish lines |
| Size: to 30 cm |
| Habitat: usually found in the water column hovering above
reefs |
| Diet: herbivore: grazes on bottom and drifting algae;
occasionally feeds on zooplankton |
| Melichthys vidua - Pinktail durgon -
Humuhumu
Hi`ukole
"Raw
tail" |
|
| Description: torpedo shaped body with dorsal and anal fin
at the caudal area; dark body, pinkish tail; dorsal & anal fin white with black
margins |
| Size: to 33 cm |
| Habitat: usually found in the water column hovering above
reefs but can also be found at deep depths (460 ft) |
| Diet: omnivore: feeds mostly on algae, but will also eat
on detritus, crabs, sponges, fishes, octopus |
| Rhinecanthus aculeatus - Lagoon triggerfish -
Humuhumunukunukuäpua`a |
|
| Description: similar to R. rectangulus (below)
but no sharply defined large black areas |
| Size: to 19cm |
| Habitat: shallow outer reefs |
| Diet: small benthic organisms: algae, crabs, brittle
stars, sea urchins and shrimp to name a few |
| Rhinecanthus rectangulus - Reef triggerfish -
Humuhumunukunukuäpua`a |
|
| Description: black through eye, bending back to anal fin;
black triangle at beginning of tail |
| Size: to 25 cm |
| Habitat: shallow outer reef areas |
| Diet: small benthic organisms and algae; crabs, peanut
worms, shrimps, sponges, foraminiferas |
| Sufflamen bursa - Lei triggerfish -
Humuhumu
Umaumalei
"lei on chest" |
|
| Description: "lei" behind eye; dorsal animal is
brown-dark gray; ventral animal is whitish-light gray |
| Size: to 21 cm |
| Habitat: tropical reef zones, common from 10 to 300 feet |
| Diet: algae, gastropods, peanut worms, tunicates, shrimp
and other small crustaceans. |
|
Pervagor
spilosoma - Fantail filefish - Ö`ili `Uwï`uwï 
