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Family Monacanthidae
Filefishes and
Leatherjackets
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Filefishes are similar to Triggerfishes
at first glance but have a long dorsal spine located directly above the eyes and
leathery skin with small granules or bristles. They have sharp incisiform
teeth and eat a variety of invertebrates. They swim by undulating the soft
dorsal and anal fins, using the caudal fin for short bursts of speed. Some
species are captured for food but the Scrawled Filefish is the only one in
Hawaii.
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HAWAII
Aluterus scriptus
Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet
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Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet |
Juvenile, Angel Ledge, Midway Atoll, 25 feet |
Night, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 5 feet |
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SCRAWLED or BROOMTAIL FILEFISH
LOULU
Soushi-hagi
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A large species occasionally seen along ledges or
wrecks at scuba depths. Body is gray or mottled with blue lines and dark spots
and caudal fin resembles a broom. Long thin dorsal spine sometimes raised above the eyes;
attains 30 inches. Feeds upon encrusting algae,
cnidarians, tunicates,
and sponges. Worldwide
in warm waters. The Unicorn Filefish (Aluterus monoceros) is a
large gray species from deep water with a short tail and blunt face.
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Cantherhines dumerilii
Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 30 feet
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Female, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 5 feet |
Male, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet
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Male, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet |
Feeding, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet |
Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 20 feet
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Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 20 feet |
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BARRED FILEFISH 'O'ILI
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Fairly common on coral reefs at scuba depths.
Feeds upon coral by biting branch tips leaving a white
scar. Brown with faint light bars and orange eye ring and
pectoral fins, white ring around mouth. Females have brown tail and males have orange.
Attains 15 inches. Indo-Pacific and Tropical Eastern Pacific.
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Cantherhines sandwichiensis

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet |
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SQUARETAIL FILEFISH
'O'ILI
LEPA
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Uncommon on shallow reefs exposed to surge.
Gray or dark brown with white dots at base of clear
yellow dorsal and anal fins. Attains 8 inches and feeds upon algae and invertebrates.
Limited to Hawaii, Johnston Island, Rarotonga, Rapa, and Pitcairn
Islands. Related to C. pardalis of the Indo-Pacific.
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Cantherhines verecundus

Chromis, Midway Atoll, 60 feet |
Sharks Cove, Oahu, 40 feet
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Chromis, Midway Atoll, 60 feet
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Blowhole, Oahu, 25 feet |
Night, Blowhole, Oahu, 25 feet |
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SHY FILEFISH 'O'ILI
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Endemic to Hawaii. Quite rare at scuba depths near ledges.
A deep-bodied gray-brown fish with small blotches and
yellowish eyes. Attains 6 inches and feeds upon encrusting
invertebrates. Related to C. fronticinctus of the Indo-Pacific.
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Pervagor aspricaudus
YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 100 feet
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Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet |
Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet
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Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet |
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YELLOWTAIL FILEFISH
'O'ILI
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Uncommon and stays hidden within the reef at scuba
depths. Gray fading to orange at rear peppered with tiny black
dots. Attains 5 inches but usually smaller. Best observed near base of shipwrecks off Oahu.
Mauritius to Okinawa, Hawaii, and the Line Islands.
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Pervagor spilosoma

Channel, Midway, 35 feet
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Courting, Makapu'u, Oahu, 25 feet |
Pale morph, Kaka'ako, Oahu, 30 feet
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Sharks Cove, Oahu, 25 feet |
YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 65 feet |
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FANTAIL FILEFISH
'O'ILI 'UWI'UWI
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Endemic to Hawaii. Normally uncommon but some years experience population
explosions. Base color gold to cream with blue-violet snout and
irregular black spots and lines. Orange caudal fin with black margin and radiating dots.
Feeds upon algae and invertebrates; attains 7 inches.
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INDO-PACIFIC
Oxymonacanthus
longirostris
Faga'alu, Tutuila, American Samoa, 10 feet |
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LONGNOSE FILEFISH Tengukawahagi
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Uncommon among thickets of staghorn (Acropora)
corals. Attains 5 inches. Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to
Okinawa and Samoa.
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JAPAN
Stephanolepis cirrhifer
Yawatano, Japan, 10 feet
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THREAD-SAIL FILEFISH Kawahagi
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Fairly common on rocky reefs. Attains 12
inches. A popular food fish that is also raised
commercially. Northern Japan to the East China Sea. |

Rudarius ercodes
Yawatano, Izu, Japan
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WHITESPOTTED PYGMY FILEFISH Amimehagi
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