Moorish Idol.
Iconic black, white and yellow reef fish with a long sweeping dorsal filament — solitary, mysterious, famously hard to keep in captivity.
The Moorish idol — kihikihi in Hawaiian, meaning "crooked" or "zigzag" for its bold pattern — is one of the most instantly recognizable fish in the Pacific. The trailing white filament off its dorsal fin is unique among reef fish; in the wild it can be longer than the body itself.
Despite resembling a butterflyfish, the Moorish idol is in a family entirely of its own (Zanclidae) and is more closely related to surgeonfish. They roam the reef in pairs or small groups, picking sponges and tiny invertebrates from cracks with their long, narrow snouts.
Moorish idols are famously difficult to keep in home aquariums — they need huge tanks, vast amounts of swim space, and a very specific live diet. Almost every long-lived Moorish idol in captivity is in a public aquarium with extensive husbandry support.
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.
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.