A while ago, I posted about Hawaiian Flagtails living in the shallow surge zone of the reef (here). Recently, I came across this scene, where a small school of these fish had ventured out a bit, so I got a better look at them.
Hawaiian Flagtails
Tag Archives: Flagtails
Gray Chubs and Hawaiian Flagtails
The surge zone is the area above shallow reefs near shore, where incoming swells churn up the water. It’s home to a variety of fish including chubs and flagtails, the turbulent, bubbling water acting as a screen from predators.
Chubs will venture out a ways during the day, but flagtails only emerge at night to feed on plankton.
Hawaiian flagtails
Hawaiian flagtails are night feeders, but by day they congregate in shallow areas with a lot of surge as a protection against predators. This shoal was swooshing back and forth in the company of several achilles tang.
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.
Graham's Island 