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.

Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet

Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet

Juvenile, Angel Ledge, Midway Atoll, 25 feet

Night, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 5 feet

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.

Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 30 feet

Female, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 5 feet

Male, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet

Male, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet

Feeding, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 45 feet

Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 20 feet

Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 20 feet

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.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet

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.

Chromis, Midway Atoll, 60 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 40 feet

Chromis, Midway Atoll, 60 feet

Blowhole, Oahu, 25 feet

Night, Blowhole, Oahu, 25 feet

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.

YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 100 feet

Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet

Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet

Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet

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.

Channel, Midway, 35 feet

Courting, Makapu'u, Oahu, 25 feet

Pale morph, Kaka'ako, Oahu, 30 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 25 feet

YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 65 feet

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.

Faga'alu, Tutuila, American Samoa, 10 feet

Uncommon among thickets of staghorn (Acropora) corals.  Attains 5 inches.  Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Okinawa and Samoa.  

Yawatano, Japan, 10 feet

Fairly common on rocky reefs.  Attains 12 inches.  A popular food fish that is also raised commercially.  Northern Japan to the East China Sea.

Yawatano, Izu, Japan

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