This entry was posted on Saturday, October 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Information, Sites, Snorkeling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy P. Asman, fishbase.org
The ancient Hawaiians called this fish kîkâkapu (kapu means forbidden). In those times this fish was considered sacred and is mentioned in many chants. No one was allowed to catch, eat, or have anything to do with this cute and special butterflyfish.
They are usually in pairs, says Dr. Randall, and they may mate for life. Their beautiful yellow and black color patterns are quite vivid. The largest they are known to grow to is about 7.8 inches. They feed on hard and soft corals, but also eat worms, crustaceans, and algae. The juveniles are identical to the adults. The butterfly family is important to the aquarium and collector’s industries making them very vulnerable to being decimated from our oceans. Most naturalists and biologists feel these and others should be protected from aquarium trade.
Will the average snorkeler and diver be able to find these adorable animals? Absolutely! Sometimes they are seen in huge schools while providing an excellent splash of color on the reefs. Most butterflyfish can be found in quite shallow areas and as deep as 197 feet, according to Dr. Randall. One of the great things about seeing these cute fish that I love is they will have you smiling!
