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Flowery Flounder, Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall
Flatfish lie on the bottom with both eyes on their upper side, which may be elevated and independent of each other. Most are night feeders and are quite the predator. They are carnivores who ambush small fish and crustaceans. This particular species has their eyes on the left side of their bodies. Males may have one or more spines on their snout, and according to some researchers, males may have long rays on their pectoral fin. According to the experts, 13 species inhabit the Hawaiian Islands.
The flowery flounders can be seen very close to shore. One morning my daughter and I were about to do a shore dive from a south Maui beach. A woman and her small son were wading when she screamed. After calming down, she realized she was not about to be devoured by anything and discovered several very small flounders skirting around her feet trying to escape being trampled. Actually it was quite comical to watch her son and her do a little jig.
These fish are present in Molokini but one would have to look very hard at the sandy bottom. They are camouflage experts, changing colors at will to blend perfectly with their surroundings.
Ancient Hawaiians called these fish paki`i, which means flat. They couldn’t have come up with a more perfect name.
