Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and a spot near the tail resembling an eye, meant to confuse their predators (moray eels
love to lunch on them).
Butterflyfish on parade.
Moray
and
congereels
are the most common eels seen in Hawaii. Morays are usually
docile except when provoked or when there's food around. Unfortunately, some morays
have been fed by divers and now associate divers with food; thus, they can become ag-
gressive. But most morays like to keep to themselves. While morays may look menacing,
conger eels look downright happy, with big lips and pectoral fins (situated so that they look
like big ears) that give them the appearance of a perpetually smiling face. Conger eels have
crushing teeth so they can feed on crustaceans; because they're sloppy eaters, they usually
live with shrimp and crabs that feed off the crumbs they leave.
Parrotfish,
one of the largest and most colorful of the reef fish, can grow up to 40 inches
long. They're easy to spot—their front teeth are fused together, protruding like buck teeth
that allow them to feed by scraping algae from rocks and coral. The rocks and coral pass
through the parrotfish's system, resulting in fine sand. In fact, most of the white sand found
in Hawaii is parrotfish waste; one large parrotfish can produce a ton of sand a year. Native
parrotfish species include yellowbar, regal, and spectacled.
Scorpion fish
are what scientists call “ambush predators”: They hide under camou-
flaged exteriors and ambush their prey. Several kinds sport a venomous dorsal spine. These
fish don't have a gas bladder, so when they stop swimming, they sink—that's why you usu-
ally find them “resting” on ledges and on the ocean bottom. They're not aggressive, but be
