Achilles Tang.
Velvet-black surgeonfish with a brilliant orange teardrop near the tail. Iconic Hawaiian reef fish, named for the famously vulnerable spot.
The Achilles tang, called pākuʻikuʻi in Hawaiian, is one of the most striking surgeonfish on the reef — deep velvet black with a vivid orange teardrop wrapping around the base of the tail. The orange marking surrounds the tail spine, the fish's main weapon, and the species is named for Achilles' mythical weak heel.
Achilles tangs prefer turbulent, wave-swept reef edges where surge is constant. They often dart in and out of white water, grazing fine algae from the rocks. Adults are strongly territorial and will chase off other tangs that approach the same patch of reef.
They are endemic to a small portion of the Pacific — mainly Hawaiʻi and a few neighboring island groups — and are highly prized in both subsistence fishing and the aquarium trade. Recent conservation focus has shifted toward sustainable management of wild populations.
More species in this group.
Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
The reef triggerfish — Hawaiʻi's official state fish, with a name that means "fish that sews with a needle and grunts like a pig."
Yellow Tang
The vivid lemon-yellow surgeonfish that flashes through every Hawaiian reef — and one of the most recognizable fish in the world.
Moorish Idol
Iconic black, white and yellow reef fish with a long sweeping dorsal filament — solitary, mysterious, famously hard to keep in captivity.
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Golden butterflyfish with a black bandit's mask. Often paired for life and one of the most common nighttime feeders on the reef.