This whitemouth moray eel appeared to startle these fish, a lei triggerfish, yellow tang, moorish idol and whitespotted surgeonfish. However, it kept going, sliding into and out of cracks as eels do, until it settled between a couple of coral heads.

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.