Home > Fishes > Endemic Hawaiian Fishes

Updated 4/12/2023

ENDEMIC HAWAIIAN FISHES  

More than 20 percent of Hawaiian reef fishes are found nowhere else in the world.  Several are especially common and easily recognized by snorkelers and divers while others are rare.  These endemic species are especially well-represented at the oldest islands including Pearl & Hermes Reef, Midway Atoll, and Kure Atoll at the northwest end of the island chain.

Potter's Angelfish

Centropyge potteri 

 

Juvenile Masked Angelfish

Genicanthus personatus 

 

Female Masked Angelfish

Genicanthus personatus 

 

Male Masked Angelfish

Genicanthus personatus 

 

Bandit Angelfish

Apolemichthys arcuatus

 

Elegant Anthias

Caprodon unicolor

 

Hawaiian Bigeye

Priacanthus meeki 

 



Hawaiian Squirrelfish

Sargocentron xantherythrum

Hawaiian Flagtail

Kuhlia xenura

 

 

Common Streamgoby

Awaous stamineus

 

Flathead Goby

Eleotris sandwicensis 

 

Hawaiian Blackbar Goby

Stenogobius hawaiiensis 

 

Bicolored Stream Goby

Lentipes concolor 

 

Bicolored Stream Goby

Lentipes concolor 

 



Stimpson's Streamgoby

Sicyopterus stimpsoni



Stimpson's Streamgoby

Sicyopterus stimpsoni

Cloudy Goby

Opua nephodes

 



Speartail Goby

Oxyurichthys lonchotus



Hawaiian Shoulderspot Goby

Gnatholepis cauerensis hawaiiensis



Hawaiian Eyebar Goby

Gnatholepis knighti


Susan's Dwarfgoby

Eviota susanae




Red Dwarfgoby

Eviota rubra

 

Hawaiian Shrimp Goby

Psilogobius mainlandi 

 



Hawaiian Seamoth

Eurypegasus papilio

Hawaiian Triplefin

Enneapterygius atriceps 

 

Dragonet

Callionymus comptus

Longtail Dragonet

Callionymus decoratus

 



Rosy dragonet

Synchiropus rosulentus

Ewa Fangblenny

Plagiotremus ewaensis 

 

Gosline's Fangblenny

Plagiotremus goslinei 

 



Strasburg's Blenny

Entomacrodus strasburgi

Gargantuan Blenny

Cirripectes obscurus

 

Marbled Blenny

Entomacrodus marmoratus 

 

Scarface Blenny

Cirripectes vanderbilti 

 

Zebra Blenny

Istiblennius zebra 

 

Bluelined Butterflyfish

Chaetodon fremblii 

 

Milletseed Butterflyfish

Chaetodon miliaris 

 

Pebbled Butterflyfish

Chaetodon multicinctus 

 

Orangemargin Butterflyfish

Prognathodes basabei 

 

Hawaiian Goldbanded Butterflyfish

Roa excelsa  

 



Goldring Surgeonfish

Ctenochaetus strigosus



Goldring Surgeonfish

Ctenochaetus strigosus



Gray Chub

Kyphosus sandwicensis



Hawaiian Chub

Kyphosus hawaiiensis

 

Clear Cardinalfish

Pseudamiops diaphanes 

 

Spotted Cardinalfish

Ostorhinchus maculiferus 

 

Hawaiian Ruby Cardinalfish

Apogon erythrinus



Weed Cardinalfish

Foa brachygramma


Oval Chromis

Chromis ovalis 

 

Hawaiian Sergeant

Abudefduf abdominalis 

 

 

Hawaiian Dascyllus

Dascyllus albisella 

 

Hawaiian Gregory

Stegastes marginatus

 

Threespot Chromis

Chromis verater 

 

Rock Damselfish

Plectroglyphidodon sindonis 

 



Chocolate-dip Chromis

Pycnochromis hanui

Hawaiian Longfin Anthias

Pseudanthias hawaiiensis

 

Thompson's Anthias

Pseudanthias thompsoni

 

Orange Anthias

Holanthias fuscipinnis

 

Sunset Basslet

Liopropoma aurora

 

Hawaiian Grouper

Hawaiian Grouper

Hyporthodus quernus

 

Whitesaddle Goatfish

Parupeneus porphyreus 

 

Yellowbarbel Goatfish

Parupeneus chrysonemus 

 



Redbarred Hawkfish

Cirhhitops fasciatus




Hawaiian Morwong

Cheilodactylus vittatus


Fantailed Filefish

Pervagor spilosoma

 

Shy Filefish

Cantherhines verecundus 

 

Large-eye Conger

Ariosoma marginatum 

 

Hawaiian Garden Eel

Gorgasia hawaiiensis 

 

Mustache Conger

Conger marginatus

 

Steindachner's Moray

Gymnothorax steindachneri 

 

Magnificent Snake Eel

Myrichthys magnificus 

 

Mottled Snake Eel

Callechelys lutea

 

Ophichthus fowleri

Fowler's Snake eel

Ophichthus fowleri

Grinnell's Mora

Physiculus grinnellii

 

Female Psychedelic Wrasse

Anampses chrysocephalus 

 

Male Psychedelic Wrasse

Anampses chrysocephalus 

 

Female Pearl Wrasse

Anampses cuvier 

 

Male Pearl Wrasse

Anampses cuvier 

 

Juvenile Hawaiian Hogfish

Bodianus albotaeniatus 

 

Female Hawaiian Hogfish

Bodianus albotaeniatus 

 

Male Hawaiian Hogfish

Bodianus albotaeniatus 

 

Hawaiian Knifefish

Cymolutes lecluse 

 

Juvenile Lined Coris

Coris ballieui 

 

Female Lined Coris

Coris ballieui 

 

Male Lined Coris

Coris ballieui 

 

Juvenile Black & White Wrasse

Coris flavovittata 

 

Subadult Black & White Wrasse

Coris flavovittata 

 

Female Black & White Wrasse

Coris flavovittata 

 

Male Black & White Wrasse

Coris flavovittata 

 

Juvenile Elegant Coris

Coris venusta 

 

Female Elegant Coris

Coris venusta 

 

Male Elegant Coris

Coris venusta 

 

 

Female Smalltail Wrasse

Pseudojuloides cerasinus

 

Male Smalltail Wrasse

Pseudojuloides cerasinus

 

Female Flame Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus jordani 

 

Male Flame Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus jordani 

 

Juvenile Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse

Labroides phthirophagus 

 

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse

Labroides phthirophagus 

 

Female Belted Wrasse

Stethojulis balteata 

 

Male Belted Wrasse

Stethojulis balteata 

 

Juvenile Shortnose Wrasse

Macropharyngodon geoffroy 

 

Female Shortnose Wrasse

Macropharyngodon geoffroy 

 

Male Shortnose Wrasse

Macropharyngodon geoffroy 

 

Juvenile Blacktail Wrasse

Thalassoma ballieui 

 

Male Blacktail Wrasse

Thalassoma ballieui 

 

Juvenile Saddle Wrasse

Thalassoma duperrey 

 

Male Saddle Wrasse

Thalassoma duperrey 

 

Blackside Razorfish

Iniistius umbrilatus 

 

Hawaiian Pigfish

Bodianus bathycapros

 

Sunrise Wrasse

Bodianus sanguineus 

 

Male Regal Parrotfish

Scarus dubius 

 

Female Regal Parrotfish

Scarus dubius 

 

Male Spectacled Parrotfish

Chlorurus perspicillatus 

 

Female Spectacled Parrotfish

Chlorurus perspicillatus 

 

Male Yellowbar Parrotfish

Calotomus zonarchus 

 

Female Yellowbar Parrotfish

Calotomus zonarchus 

 

Hawaiian Whitespotted Puffer

Canthigaster jactator 

 

Crown Puffer

Canthigaster coronata

 

Randall's Puffer

Torquigener randalli 

 

Hawaiian Turkeyfish

Pterois sphex 

Spotfin Scorpionfish

Sebastapistes ballieui 

Speckled Scorpionfish

Sebastapistes coniorta

 

Titan Scorpionfish

Scorpaenopsis cacopsis 

 



Shortsnout Scorpionfish

Scorpaenopsis brevifrons

 

Hawaiian Lionfish

Dendrochirus barberi 

 

Baldwin's Pipefish

Dunckerocampus baldwini 

 

Edmondson's Pipefish

Halicampus edmondsoni

 

Therese's Sole

Aseraggodes therese 

 

Holcom's Sole

Aseraggodes holcomi 

 

Hawaiian Dwarf Flounder

Engyprosopon hawaiiensis