Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa 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."
The humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa is the official state fish of Hawaiʻi — a title it has held, lost, and won back again. Its name (eight syllables long) translates roughly to "the triggerfish that sews with a needle and grunts like a pig," referring to the snorting sound it makes when alarmed and the sharp needle-like spine on its back.
That spine is a trigger mechanism. When the fish dives into a coral crevice, it locks the first dorsal spine upright and braces itself in place — no predator can pull it out without breaking the spine itself. Press a tiny second spine behind it and the lock releases.
Triggerfish are intelligent, curious, and territorial. They feed on small invertebrates, blowing jets of water to flip over rocks and uncover prey. Diving in Hawaiʻi, you'll often see them hovering and watching you with one rolling eye.
More species in this group.
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.
Longnose Butterflyfish
A bright yellow butterflyfish with an extraordinarily long, tube-like snout — a precision tool for tweezing prey from the tightest reef cracks.