Maui Snorkeling Trips

Photo Courtesy Fishbase.org

In Australia there are more species of this fish (known as leatherjackets down under) than anywhere else in the world.  According to historians in Hawaii this fish was called lolou, probably because its greenish-white skin resembled the native fan palm.  The fish was used for sorcery because the word lou means to hook, according to Mary Pukui.  The scrawled filefish, as it is known in Hawaii, is also called broom tail by some locals.  From time to time it will fan open the tail looking very much like a whisk broom.  This author also has been told by a local kahu, or Hawaiian priest, that the meat was often toxic so being used for sorcery is what he remembers as a small boy, and told me stories of how this animal’s meat would be fed to someone that needed to be ‘taken out’.  Whether this is fact, or not, it makes for an interesting story.  I have also been told that their skin, which is very rough and leathery, was used as sandpaper by the ancient Hawaiians.  That doesn’t surprise me as it is well known they never wasted anything and found uses for all things available to them.

The scrawled filefish is a real beauty.  It is capable of changing colors at will, most likely used for camouflage, but possibly to communicate to others around and maybe even between sexes.  According to Dr. Randall the male has longer spines on the posterior part of the body.  When I was told this I found myself studying every filefish I could find to see which sex was in front of me.  Also according to research, some are sexually dimorphic.  In Hawaiian waters there are 8 species known, one of which spends their time in very deep water.  They are omnivores, feeding on benthic animal and plant life, but also like to eat sponges, anemones, and fiery things like hydrozoans and gorgonians.  They have amazing teeth that appear to be very sharp and triangular.  When snorkeling look for this fish, which can sometimes be very curious and hold still for that amazing picture moment.  There are several in our local aquarium as well.  To float in the water column and hold very still can be a wonderful educational experience just to watch these animals eat, change colors, open their tails and communicate.  Watch, learn, and enjoy what is in our blue backyard!

Photos Courtesy Fishbase.org

This very bizarre fish is sometimes called ‘angler’ fish because of the modified ‘lure’ attached to the first dorsal spine on their heads, which is used to attract prey close enough to gulp in.  They have a compressed body with a loose scaleless skin, according to Dr. Randall, and may also have wart-like protruberances.  They have extremely large mouths and can gulp in a fish larger than themselves and are a very devious ambush predator.  Their Hawaiian name, unfortunately, has been lost over time.

These fish also have pectoral fins shaped like little hands, with a limb-like elbow joints, their round gill openings just behind, making them look like clumsy old men moving around slowly on the reefs, sitting in waiting on corals or sponges.  Their color is extremely variable, capable of changing to match their surroundings,  (but limited to) red, yellow or black.

Getting a glimpse of these cute little animals (can reach up to 14 inches in length) is a treat, although it is usually SNUBA or SCUBA divers who get lucky enough to obtain pictures.  Since they blend so beautifully, one must be extremely observant and not in a hurry.  Coming to Maui?  Please plan on getting wet.  Take in a snorkel trip and hope to find the unusual.  They’ll be waiting.

Photo Courtesy Fishbase.org

To date, the world fishing record for this gorgeous animal is 50.5 pounds.  This fish is also recorded to reach at least 50 inches.  The Hawaiians called it ulua kihikihi, and undoubtedly, it was a very important game fish to catch, raise, and eat. This fish was also substituted for use in place of human sacrifices when humans were not available, according to Mary Pukui, because of word magic and the meaning of ulua.  Since an ulua replaces a man, ulua also can mean “man, sweetheart”.  

Whether everyone was able to consume this fish, or only royalty is unknown.  This threadfin jack usually lives in deeper waters as an adult, but the juveniles researchers believe mimic jellies and may be in shallows as well as deeper water.  They are predators, feeding on smaller fish.

I love the beauty of these fish and am always looking for them.  Will the snorkeler be able to find them anywhere?  Never say never!  The wonderful thing about snorkeling, diving and traveling on the water in the Pacific is that any animal can be seen at any time!  Cameras ready everyone!  The fun is about to start!!  Your wildlife is waiting.

Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall & Robert Patzner

Many youngsters go into the waters around Maui hoping to see Nemo, and go away very disappointed learning Nemo doesn’t live in Hawaii.  The movie, they are told, was about animals in and around Australian waters.  That is true, but we can give them Nemo’s friend, Gil, the moorish idol.  The moorish idol is often confused with angel fish, but this cute little fish, who looks like he/she has eyelashes, is in a genus all to himself.  They feed mainly on sponges and occasionally on algae.  They stay little, says Dr. Randall, growing to a mere 8 inches.  The ancient Hawaiians called this fish kihikihi, which translated means curves, corners and angular.  Since this fish was small with a compressed body and not much to it, most likely it wasn’t used as a food source, but more importantly, since it eats mainly sponges that would probably make the meat dangerous to consume.

Will the average snorkeler be able to see these beauties?  Absolutely!  In Hawaii around the reefs and out at Molokini, the moorish idol is plentiful.  If one were to hold still and just observe you will watch them cruising all around, adding a beautiful splash of color wherever they go.

Sorry, kids.  Nemo lives in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere but, fortunately for us all, Gil has made it to Hawaii and hopefully is here to stay!

Photo Courtesy Katie Velasquez

One of the most deadly and dangerous animals of the ocean is the cone snail.  In the above photos, a textile cone (also known as ‘cloth of gold’) is tending to her nest in the left photo and eating a snail in the right photo.  Notice the beautiful pattern in the shell.  To a rookie shell collector who wishes to obtain this shell for a collection, beware.  This animal creates the design in her/his shell using the mantel, which polishes and creates, but also this creature packs a real wallop in the form of venom, which he/she uses to kill their prey.  They eat other snails and fish.  The venom is, according to researchers, 1,000 times more powerful than cyanide and if a human were to be envenomated, you can only hope to get to a hospital on time to be intubated, time being the only healer to allow the body to deal with the venom while a machine breathes for you, and if necessary, machines to do anything else needed to keep you alive.  There is no anti-venom known to science at this time.  What is truly amazing to this author is the fact that these snails are being used in science for the venom and the secrets it holds.  The properties of peptides and having the capability to provide the best analgesic known has put these snails on the list of most amazing animals.  They are raised and milked for their venom, (not destroyed) which is then sold to pharmaceutical companies, who, in turn, make an amazing medicine called Prialt.  This medicine is given to those terminally ill patients, and is not addictive, according to scientists.  The patient doesn’t have to continually hit that button.  That is a wondrous thing, isn’t it?

They are hunters.  They are also distinctly male or female, and must mate to produce young.  The female then makes a nest, creating these beautiful paper-like packets, which will hold thousands of eggs.  The little ones will hatch out after two-three weeks of incubating.  The babies are called veligers and will be free swimming and on their own.

 Will the average snorkeler be able to see these wonders of nature?  The answer is, yes, of course, but one must be very observant since these animals live hiding under rocks, ledges, and maybe burying in the sandy bottoms.  Also, most folks know to not touch anything when cruising through coral reefs or peering around in the ocean realm, but these critters give us an extremely good reason to keep our hands to ourselves and teach the children to keep the same respect.  The ocean is an amazing place with such a myriad of animals to get to know.  Keep visiting this blog site to stay ‘in the know’!