What is Hawai'i's State Fish? Discover the Humuhumunukunukuāpua'a

Can you say “Humuhumunumuapua’a”?

And you thought the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from the movie classic “Mary Poppins” was hard to pronounce, try saying the name of the Hawai’i state fish, the humuhumunumuapua’a.

The distinctive fish is more commonly known as a wedgetail or rectangular triggerfish. Snorkelers around Hawai’i’s coral reefs often come across these solidly built fish which have evolved over thousands of years to possess sharp teeth and powerful jaws to crunch the coral while searching for food. Its favorite dining choices are seaweed, algae, snails, mollusks, and ocean crustaceans.

A less common relative, the lagoon triggerfish, shares the name humuhumunukunukuapua’a (is it getting easier to say yet?) which translated from Hawaiian means “triggerfish with a snout like a pig”. Both fish grow to around 10 inches in length.

While the fish is fairly common in Hawai’i’s waters and is also found throughout the Western Pacific Ocean and Eastern Central Pacific, the cultural importance and uniqueness was enough to be designated as the Hawai’i state fish in 2006.

The generally friendly “humuhumu” as it is often called, is known for stunning shades of orange, white, brown, and yellow, with black near the tail and mid-body that offsets the geometric markings perfectly. There are also black stripes across the blue forehead between the eyes. Amazingly, the two eyes can be rotated individually!

The only time that the fish may become more aggressive is during nesting season. The bite from its eight top teeth and six plate-like teeth below may sting due to the sharpness, but there is nothing life-threatening about the humuhumu.

There’s a Hawaiian fish with a longer name than the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a!

For linguistic fans reading this blog, here are some fun facts about another Hawai’ian fish with an even longer name. We challenge you to pronounce this one!

With 25 letters versus a mere 22 for the humuhumunukunukuapua’a, the word “lauwiliwilinukunuku’oi’oi” accounts for two species of fish found in Hawai’ian waters, typically in the area of coral reefs. Translated to English as a longnose butterflyfish, the fish has long snout/beak that is shaped like a wiliwili leaf. Wiliwili leaves sprout from a wiliwili tree, a tree that is endemic to the Aloha State. It is most commonly called a Hawai’ian coral tree. Lauwiliwilinukunuku’oi’oi is the longest word in the Hawai’ian language.

Where in Hawai’i can I see a humuhumunukunukuapua’a?

The ‘triggerfish with a snout like a pig’ is endemic to Hawai’i, and the best way to see one is while snorkeling in the crystal clear blue waters of this incredible state. Size-wise the humuhumunukunukuapua’a grows to 6-7 inches in length and tends to remain in areas that are no more than 15 feet deep.

An expansive ecosystem and snorkeling hotspots like Molokini Crater off the south coast of Maui, and Honolua Bay located 10 miles north of Lahaina, make Maui a preferred destination to view all kinds of tropical fish. Maui is world-famous for providing an underwater aquarium experience unlike anywhere else in the world.

There are excellent snorkeling locations on all of the major islands. Oahu’s Hanauma Bay State Park, about 30 minutes by car east of Waikiki, is a favorite snorkeling destination on the “The Gathering Place”. On the Big Island, the Kona Coast has many more snorkeling locations and better conditions than the Hilo side of the island.

Not to be outdone, there are several popular snorkeling beaches on Kauai including Poipu Beach where you may also see monk seals and migrating whales, Haena State Park (Ke’e Beach), and [Salt Pond Beach Park](https://poipubeach.org/blog/10-reasons-to-love-salt-pond-beach-park/0 which is especially good for families.

Hawai’i’s ocean waters are warmest from June to September, which also happens to provide the best snorkeling conditions. May and October are also generally acceptable for most snorkelers, especially those with previous experience. However, snorkeling can be a part of your vacation any time of year if you don’t mind the waters being a bit cooler and perhaps more active.

Snorkeling equipment rental is available throughout the islands from the many dive shops, hotel stores, and beach kiosks at popular snorkeling sites. For those who have their own equipment, bring it along to save money and time searching for just the right goggles and fins to meet your needs.

Amazing tropical fish await Hawai’i snorkelers

It will surprise you to know that due to Hawai’i’s isolated location in the Pacific Ocean there is a smaller fish population than in other areas. In fact, 149 of the 1,100 species found here don’t live anywhere else in the world.

Some of the tropical fish that you may encounter while snorkeling in Hawaii are:

Saddle Wrasse – quite common in Hawaii, this astounding fish can change not only its color to avoid detection by predators, but also its sex. There are 43 distinct types of fish in the wrasse family, with 13 of them native to Hawaii. There are more Saddle Wrasse to be found in these tropical waters than any other type of reef fish.

Potter’s Angelfish – the only common angelfish found on Hawai’i’s coral reefs. The bright orange and blue fish is named, get this, for the first director of the Waikiki Aquarium.

Flame Hawkfish – also known as the Brilliant Hawkfish, its bright crimson color is accented by black coloring around the eyes and across the dorsal fin.

Yellowtail Coris Wrasse – another member of the wrasse family, this is one of the most beautiful of the species. And like others, the female can turn into a male, especially when the dominant male in their grouping dies. The female does this instinctively to prevent other male wrasses from joining their group. They can range in size from just two to 15 inches.

Yellow Tang Surgeonfish – one of the most common tropical fish in Hawaii, persons new to snorkeling in Hawaii may recognize the vibrant Yellow Tang before other fish. They are usually found in shallow reefs with the males being noticeably larger than the females. Incredibly, the Yellow Tang loses much of its color at night, regaining its vibrant marking throughout the day.

Spotted Trunkfish – also known as a Boxfish, it is so-named due to its hard outer shell-like covering. Growing to just 2-4 inches, the fish spends much of its time in small coral crevices, both for protection and to feed on algae, mollusks, and sponges.

Parrotfish – this largest of reef fish at 10-40 inches (!) features fused teeth similar to a parrot’s beak, thus the name. This is another species where the female can become a male. Brightly colored in magenta and teal primarily with yellow-gold accents, believe it or not but the parrotfish is known for pooping out up to 2,000 pounds of sand (yes, sand) annually.

Trumpetfish – an amazing fish that can bend around its surroundings as well as change color, the 20 to 25 inch-long fish likes to hide in the finger coral along with sea urchins. They primarily eat smaller fish and can often be found closely following a school of surgeonfish when seeking prey.

Black Durgeon Triggerfish – quite common throughout the Hawai’i’s coral reefs, this type of triggerfish grows up to 12 inches in length. It feeds primarily on algae and plankton, is aggressive towards other fish infringing on its territory, and is a tropical fish that snorkelers likely will come across, especially if you choose to visit Molokini Crater.

Moorish Idol – the only fish of its species, the Moorish Idol shares some characteristics with the surgeonfish. With a long, thin snout, it is able to reach inside the many nooks and crannies that comprise coral reefs to find its food. The fish is generally seeking plant life and sponges. This is another fish that is common to Hawaii and is found in large numbers in coral reefs on most of the islands.

Stripebelly Pufferfish – one of many fascinating puffers that can expand their size with the intake of water to appear more formidable to potential aggressors, this mid-size version reaches 14 to 18 inches in length. They prefer shallow waters in protected bays or inlets in order to find invertebrates to feast on. Snorkelers often report that a puffer allowed them to get within a couple of feet of them, and then they invariably dart away to safety. Eating pufferfish is not recommended as they can be toxic to humans.

Some of the more colorful tropical fish you may see while snorkeling in Hawaii include the Hawaiian Spotted Toby, Whitesaddle Goatfish, Golden Travally, Emperor Angelfish, and several varieties of Butterflyfish.

Hawai’i offers so many incredible opportunities to get outdoors and explore, no matter whether your preference is underwater or on land. You deserve a getaway to this unique and magical destination.