I noticed this scrawled filefish because it was catching the sunlight, as they sometimes do, and the blue scribbles on its side were beautifully illuminated.

The photo on the left is the first sighting I had of the fish, and as it dove I noticed something trailing it. This can just be seen below the tail. It looked like fishing line. So I followed it and got the top photo where I could clearly see that the fish was trying to dislodge a hook and line from its mouth. Not only that, but it had a good-sized slash in its side.

I had visions of trying to grab the line and remove the hook, but the fish kept going down, away from me and out of my reach. It disappeared from view and I was left only with the photos and the rather sad image of the struggling fish.

Scrawled filefish are at their most scenic when they catch the light. The blue scribbles that cover their bodies glow with intensity. They’re a peculiar-looking fish with a flat body and long tail, and they can quickly change color to a camouflage pattern when needed.

In this photo, the two dorsal fins are visible. The forward one is just a thin spine which can be raised and lowered. The other one is very fine and often hard to see. In this photo it has a bit of a wave going on.

Squaretail filefish are easily identified by the white patch at the base of the tail and the orange fins.

A scrawled filefish passes through a shaft of sunlight as it swims toward deeper waters.

When the light catches a scrawled filefish right, its blue scribbles shine in the water.

A barred filefish grazes on a coral head.

This filefish is quite distinctive. It has a flattened body and long tail fin. Typically, it has a pale body with blue spots and scribbly lines, which is where it gets its name. It also has the ability to darken to a camouflage pattern, which is what this one was doing, though the blue lines are still visible. When sporting the camouflage pattern, they lie on the coral and blend in very well indeed.

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.