The Moorish idol is one of the easiest fish to identify. Striking colors, striking shape, and no other fish quite like it. This one not only hung around while I was there, but obligingly slid into a patch of sunlight.

In my attempts to identify what I see in the water, I use John P. Hoover’s book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. His website is hawaiisfishes.com.