Manini (Convict Tang).
The striped "convict" surgeonfish that schools across Hawaiian reefs — one of the most common fish you'll spot snorkeling.
Manini, the convict tang, is one of the most familiar fish on every Hawaiian reef — a silver-white surgeonfish marked with bold black vertical bars that look like an old prison uniform. They form loose schools that move along the reef like a grazing herd, scraping algae from the rocks.
The Hawaiian word manini also means "small" or "insignificant" — a teasing reference to the fish's modest size. Despite that, schools of hundreds can quickly defoliate algae from a stretch of reef, helping coral compete for space.
Like all surgeonfish, manini have sharp scalpel-like spines at the base of the tail that can flick out when the fish is handled. Juveniles spend their first months in tidepools, sheltered from larger predators, before joining the adult schools out on the reef.
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.